Worth Saying
by sundayswithgale
Summary: At the age of fourteen, Finnick faced the Hunger Games head on. Other then that, little is known about his life before he met the star-crossed lovers of District 12. Unknowingly, his story had no happy ending. Finnick's life before The Hunger Games. AxF. Chapter 13 is up! Formerly known as 'Taken'.
1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger games by Suzanne Collins, or Finnick Odair. I only own any new characters of my own creation.

Finnick Odair was going to win.

Finnick Odair was going to be one of the youngest tributes to ever become a victor. He was going to bring honor to District 4.

The Careers hadn't wanted him. He seemed useless, a scrawny, handsome boy at the age of fourteen, he was nothing compared to the brawny boys and girls from District 1 and 2. They took his district partner instead, Selina. Instead of sticking around to see what his fate would be, he avoided the bloodbath and ran into the woods. They had underestimated him.

Finnick had been immediately deemed the most attractive tribute in this year's round. It would be easy to get sponsors, they'd said. If only Selina had stayed with him. If only she had listened to Mags.

With Mags convincing people, he was bound to get a lot of sponsors. Everyone loved Mags.

As he hid, the heat was excruciating. The arena was filled with extreme heat, and although Finnick was used to it from living in District 4, it was like any other he'd felt before. It was surely reaching into the hundreds. He took his shirt off and tied it around his head to cover his face from the sun. Having been hiding in a tree for at least two days, he was running out of water. As he'd ran into the woods, he ran into a dead tribute on the floor: some sort of mutt had already gotten to it. Finnick took his satchel, which held a bottle of water, some dried food, and a cutting knife.

Things weren't looking up for Finnick at that point.

After he climbed down, he stretched his body. He'd tried to sleep, but it was uncomfortable to sleep in such conditions. His clothes had hidden his muscles, something that Mags had warned him to expose; something Finnick thought was deprived of the Capitol to admire. He was still a child in most people's mind.

He sighed and began to walk towards the sun; west. At one point, he would have to find water.

As Finnick neared a small pond, he sighed with relief and kneeled to the ground, cupping his hands and taking a drink. He splashed his face with some, and dried it off with his shirt. He removed the shirt from his face, and looked at the water.

There was the reflection of a silver parachute.

Holding something that looked like a trident.

* * *

><p>Blood.<p>

Blood everywhere.

Blood ran down Finnick's hands, as he pulled the trident from the sole district twelve tribute. The youngest in this year's games, she had been crying over the death of her district partner: he'd stumbled on to a tracker jacker nest while looking for food.

They were down to six tributes now.

Finnick had been watching them for a few hours then, and they had been blissfully unaware of him. Well hidden, they'd thought.

This was the worst kill for Finnick Odair.

When he'd seen her partner stomp on the nest, Finnick had ran away as fast as he could. The young girl hadn't run as fast, in hopes that her partner could make it out alive as well. Not only did she have a nasty gash on her neck from a fight, but now a tracker jacker sting would only worsen her condition. By the end of the games, she would be already dead.

You could call it a sympathy kill, if you had been watching. Finnick Odair cursed himself for every innocent life that he had to take to survive. He had to go back for his father, and his mother. They couldn't lose another child to the Capitol.

"I'm sorry." he whispered to himself, tears stinging his eyes. He sat with her for a minute, before turning her over and closing her lifeless eyes. He kissed her hand and then stood, holding his trident, and moving over to the backpack she had dropped while running.

She would never hear his apologies.

_**Bang!**_

* * *

><p>Finnick was on his last ounce of energy.<p>

It was down to him, and the girl from District 4 . Selina. She was fierce, wielding a machete and a sword. She was bleeding from the recurring battle, the side of her face had a gash that was split open, with blood pouring down from it. The damage had been from the small knife Finnick held in the hand that didn't hold the trident.

"Are you happy then? You proved me wrong, pretty boy! But I guess, it doesn't matter, huh? Either way, District 4 is going to win this year. Isn't that sumthin'," Selina said carefully. They circled around the body of the boy from District 1-Selina's last kill.

"Selina, please," Finnick said confidently. He sounded much more like a child than Selina, who was almost an adult at the age of seventeen. He had gotten trapped in one of her nets on his way to find her; luckily, he had escaped. Not that his foot was in any sort of good condition.

"What, you want me to give up, pretty boy? I'm not going to stop fighting just because its down to you and me. I want the crown. The glory. I'm not going to let you get it. Your family doesn't deserve it," she grinded her teeth and Finnick sighed tiredly.

"Won't you just shut up!" He yelled in frustration, and she snarled like an animal. Ready to make her pounce.

That's what the games do to you.

Finnick threw his trident with perfect aim, and as it impaled her, her eyes widened. Fear suddenly filled her green eyes and she dropped her weapons.

Finnick hadn't realized what he had done.

He dropped his knife quickly, and went to her aid. As her hand slowly wrapped around the trident shakily, she looked up at Finnick. Her furious eyes, as they had been a moment before, suddenly filled with fear. Fear of what would come next.

Selina pulled out the trident quickly. Blood soon fell from the hole, squirting everywhere. The fear soon moved into Finnick as well.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said to her as more tears filled his eyes. Her tears were now joined with his. As she swayed backwards, Finnick caught her in his arms and kneeled down, laying her on the grass and taking her hand into his. She gripped it, tightly, as she lived her last moments.

"Congratulations," she whispered softly, almost like the innocent girl that he'd met at the reaping. "The odds were in your favor, pretty boy."

Finnick didn't remember much else.

Just the sound of a loud cannon, and the beginning of a nightmare.


	2. Chapter 2: Mentor

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Hunger Games. _Suzanne Collins owns them, I only own the plot of this story and the characters I create.

* * *

><p>Every night, he relived the nightmare. Finnick Odair could never escape Selina in his dreams. She always caught up to him. Her last words repeated themselves in his head, twenty four hours a day.<p>

"_Congratulations, the odds were in your favor, pretty boy."_

Then again, Finnick was never able to escape her. Every time he went to town, he passed by the school, passed by the docks, there were dirty glares sent in his direction. Selina had been with this class of new workers in school-she knew them. But Finnick, barely a 9th grader, had beat the odds and had beat their friend. He was despised by many, but he was mostly welcomed back with open arms.

People were just glad that Parcel Day came every month because of him .

It had been a year since the Games. Finnick had turned fifteen a little over a month before the 66th Hunger Games. Fifteen, and he was already a mentor to new tributes. He wished it weren't like that. He wished he'd never been in the Games at all.

The Victors Island was much like Finnick expected. Most of the homes were filled by previous victors and their families-a lot of them ripe into their old age, like Mags, and a few closer to Finnick's age. The last time there had been a winner for District 4 was for the 59th Hunger Games, a 16 year-old girl who trapped her victims in nets before slicing their necks with a knife. By the end of the games, she had trapped her fellow Careers and bashed their heads in with their own weapons.

Ruthless.

They were all ruthless. She had tried to instill that tactic into Selina and Finnick's Games, but it was obvious that only one of them listened. While Finnick preferred to train with Mags, Selina went with the other mentors. Finnick thought that if he was gonna die, he would spend his last days pleasantly with the old lady.

Boy, was he wrong. If anything, Mags pushed him harder than any of the others could have. She apparently saw potential in him, something that a lot of them couldn't see. She saw his good looks, his charm. "_You'll drive the women crazy," _she'd said reassuringly. '_You best not give up if you're ahead of the game!"_

Good looks did save him. When he went for the interview after the Games, Ceasar wouldn't stop gushing. Every time he smiled, the women swooned. The Capitol was disgusting.

When he came back to District 4 for the feast, everything had gone well. As far as he knew, he was fine. Having been mostly sedated while he was in the Hospital healing, and when he slept on the train, he didn't know what would happen once he laid in his new bed in his new home.

The first night was the worst.

* * *

><p>"Finnick, sweetie, wake up!" his mother said as her son thrashed in his bed. He was shaking, soaking in sweat and fear. He'd been screaming. Finnick, as soon as he heard her voice, realized it was a dream.<p>

He opened his eyes, and his ears pounded. He was breathing heavily. It was as if it had all been real, except the wounds that had killed him in his dream weren't bleeding-as in, they didn't exist.

"They came to get me mom, they-they," Finnick began to say rather rapidly. The darkly lit room had only a little bit of light from the hallway. The window had been open, so by no doubt did other people hear his screams. The four poster bed's sheets were all messed up and out of place. He guessed he'd been moving around a lot. He was still half-asleep, and half-awake. In limbo.

He put his hands to his face, and a dry sob escaped his throat. They were soon followed by tears.

"Who came to get you, Finn?" she asked and rubbed his back. His father stood at the doorway, watching, too afraid to see or hear what Finnick was about to say.

"S-Selina, and Lex a-and Polly a-and-;" Finnick began to choke out the names of all the tributes he'd killed. Her arms wrapped around him and caressed his back. She rested her cheek on the side of his copper hair. She had to understand his pain. And she did. At the tender age of fifteen, he had known things only her nightmares could show her. He was an adult now, stuck in the mind of a child. Still a child.

"Odin," she turned to his father the slightest bit. "Go back to bed. I'm going to stay with Finn tonight."

She stayed with him several nights afterward.

* * *

><p>His mother, Lucia, stood in front of Finnick and fixed his dress shirt and suit jacket. It had been sent in from the Capitol for him to wear, by his stylist. Finnick could only look down at the floor in shame. He closed his eyes. He was going back to hell. The Capitol. He was going back for the third time in less than a year. Lucia noticed his expression.<p>

In stature, she was a small woman. In strength and endurance, she stood high. She had been too kind-and still was too kind- to have been given what she had. She smiled tightly and tilted his chin up with her index finger. Even as Finnick towered over her, he felt like a child in her presence.

"Stand tall, Finn. Show them that you're your own person,"she advised him in her strong, nurturing voice.

Finnick could only nod. He pulled on a smile and replaced his mom's hand on his tie, which was an aquamarine blue. For this Reaping, they were all to wear blue-and show District pride.

"I've got it, Mom, thank you. You should go get ready," he kissed her cheek. She smiled, wearily, but nodded and went on to primp herself up. She was a Victor's mother now, and the Capitol expected much more from her.

Reaping Day still brought a somber mood upon their family.

Finnick went to the mirror and fixed his tie quickly, and tussled his hair. At this point, he was tired of being a Victor. He wanted to go back and live a normal life. He missed going fishing, going to school...the Victor's Village was isolated. It was a boat ride away from his old house. Stuck on the island for most of the time, He mostly talked to Mags.

When he finished, he went out the door and to Mags' house. It was still early in the morning, about eight o'clock. He had questions for her that he knew only she could answer. He was unsure about how to save the life of a child, when he was a child himself.

When she opened the door, she smiled. As frail as she looked, she still hugged Finnick strongly. She was a force to be reckoned with, that woman.

"Sit down, Finn," she said gently and kindly as she gestured to an arm chair. Her husband had passed on only a few years earlier, and now she lived in the big house by herself. She had never felt that experience before.

It was sometimes hard to believe that she had been the first District 4 victor. She had killed people, like he had, almost six decades before. She wasn't the only from District Four, but she was the only one he trusted. The others were ruthless.

Proud of the trophy they received.

Mags had been given a fairly normal life. She married young with the District 4 ceremony, at the age of twenty. At thirty, her and her husband legally married. It was very hard for her to hide it, but she was able to. She had three daughters and two sons. They had all survived being reaped in the Games. And so far, so had her grandchildren.

"Why are we forced to go back every year, Mags? Can't mentors volunteer?" Finnick asked as he sat down. The reaping was at noon, but it was pretty early in the morning. Finnick hadn't slept, anyway.

"We're the people's hope, Finnick. They need to show that even their hope is in the Capitol's hands," she served him some herbal tea.

It made more sense than any of the conclusions he'd come to, anyway.

* * *

><p>Finnick sat next to Mags on the stage with the mentors. Katerina, the tributes' escort, spoke about the Dark Days. About the horrors that we had forced upon the Capitol. Obviously, it was completely and absolutely our fault that we were forced into the Hunger Games.<p>

"We must, therefore, select two tributes; one young man and woman from each district, as a sacrificed for every Capitol citizen that died during the rebellion that sparked the creation of the Annual Hunger Games," she said from her memory. Her clothes were different shades of blue and green, and she wore a long-haired wig with a large bow on top. Her skin was an unnatural shade of green-almost as if she was going to be sick-and her lips were a silver color.

Finnick, in all honesty, could care less for her. He looked out to the crowd of kids, who did not know what to expect. They didn't know what laid ahead of them or what their story would be in a matter of minutes. A year ago, he had been there. He had held the same fearful looks they now held. He felt sympathy for them. Sympathy that many others would categorize as dishonorable, because it was 'an honor to be a part of the Hunger Games'.

Finnick showed no emotion on the outside, throughout her whole speech.

"Ladies first!" she said excitedly in her odd Capitol accent. She smacked her silver lips together and took off her green glove, exposing even more of that strange shade of green. This time, she had elongated her nails; a new addition to her monstrous appearance.

She reached into the bowl, took out the slip, and slowly opened it. She cleared her throat.

"Lily Lewisson," she grossly mispronounced the name.A group of girls in the crowd quickly moved away from the new tribute- a girl, about fifteen years old, took a deep breath.

"Come now, girl, come on up," Katerina ushered her with her clawed finger. Lily closed her eyes and began moving forward, knowing that she couldn't get away from her fate. Nobody could.

No one bothered to volunteer for her.

Tears were running down the girl's face, and she shook as she took her place next to Katerina. She didn't have the capability to be strong at that point. She was now a tribute in the Hunger Games, and she could only hope for the best. She was small in stature, with rough hands and light hair. She was also terrified.

"Look at her; tears of joy! Oh, you must be so honored!" Katerina said before giving the girl a small squeeze. When Lily could only wipe her eyes, Katerina knew the girl wasn't crying for that reason. "And now for the boys," She said, disgruntled by Lily's reaction to her.

She picked a slip from the boy's bowl.

"And our boy tribute is James Larkin!" She said more enthusiastically, and just as the boy of thirteen was about to come up, an older boy-about eighteen-stepped out of the crowd.

"I volunteer as tribute," he said calmly as Peacekeepers moved forward to get him back in the crowd.

"Oh! It seems we have a volunteer! Come up, come up!" she ushered him up. At this point, Lily's eyes widened. She could only look up and look at the boy with wide eyes. That's when Finnick noticed that they shared the same features.

"What's your name?" Katerina asked him once she pushed him to the stage.  
>"Ronan Lewisson," he said into the microphone. Katerina suddenly, looked between the both of them.<p>

"It seems we have a set! I guess you couldn't let your sister bring your family all the honor, could you Ronan?" Katerina patted his shoulder and Ronan looked down.

One family, in District 4, wouldn't be celebrating tonight.


	3. Chapter 3: Venom

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Hunger Games_, Suzanne Collins does. Here's Chapter three!

"Finnick, what do you think?" Mags asked him as he looked out the window, watching as they neared the Capitol. He turned to the new tributes, before turning away.

"Stick together. You're family, and family is extremely important. The Capitol will take pity on your situation," Finnick stared out the window. He felt horrible for them. But, he felt even worse for their parents. The Hunger Games were taking too much away from them.

"But how do we get sponsors?" Asked Ronan, in a strong burly voice. He was older than Finnick-they both were. Lily had been in his class, and mentoring his classmate seemed a little bit ridiculous to him.

"We get you the sponsors, remember?" Mags told him. The train car was huge, almost exactly like Finnick had remembered. The extravagant chandeliers, mahogany tables, and treats for the tributes were supposed to be enjoyed before they went in-a prize for dying. It brought back memories of a happier time, before he had ever killed anyone. It was a nostalgic feeling.

Finnick sighed, ran a hand through his hair and went to sit with them. He had to stop being selfish. He had to concentrate on saving the lives of the new tributes. This year, the tributes wanted Mags and Finnick's opinion. Seeing as they had both survived with the help of sponsors, and the ability to get them, they wanted their help. And they would need all the sponsors they could get.

"Do you have any abilities? I mean, I know that you're good with nets, Ronan. But everyone expects that from District 4. Do you have any others?" Finnick asked as he served himself some water.

"I used to unload the ships, so I'm pretty good lifting heavy things," he answered unknowingly, not really knowing how to answer that question. Finnick nodded, but he knew that wouldn't be much help in the arena. It wasn't a weightlifting tournament, after all.

"And you?" he asked Lily.

Finnick remembered her from what seemed so long ago. They went to school together, and she had been in most of his classes. She had many friends, like Finnick, but they never really knew each other. A year later, they were both reaped and her life was in his hands. She looked downcast-most kids had nightmares about this situation. Now, her nightmare was coming true.

She was ordinary. She had ginger hair and dark green eyes, a standard feature of citizens from the market section of District 4. She could've passed as Finnick's younger sister. A lot of the kids resembled each other.

"She can use a knife really well; she usually carves the fish for the shop. Fastest carver I know," Ronan smiled at his sister. Knives were good, yes, but only for close combat. Unless she knew how to throw them, which I doubted. It wouldn't protect her from a sneak attack or a bigger, more dangerous weapon.

Mags seemed to have thought the same thing.

"At the training center, practice these things. But, try other things for protection and hunting. Go to the snares, climbing, and camouflage. These things could hold the key between life and death for you guys, and surviving as long as possible is important," she told them quickly as two avoxes entered the room.

The train pulled to a stop, then. Outside you could hear the sound of the cheering Capitol citizens, hoping to catch sight of this year's new tributes. We had definitely reached the Capitol.

* * *

><p>Dead, two days into the Games. It had been set in a desert arena-the opposite of what District 4 tributes could find helpful. The only water was in the Cornucopia, and there was almost no shelter.<p>

Lily was the first to go. Snake mutts attacked her, poisoning her with some venom that destroyed her externally, and internally as well. Twelve hours into the games, she was dead. By the time she took her last breath, bloody patches of her skin were infected and scabbing. Her whole body looked a terrifying pale shade, except for her eyes. They were blackened and swollen, and she couldn't see at the end. Ronan stood by her side the whole time. Hoped that she would live.

By the eleventh hour, they were certain she wouldn't heal. That's when Ronan decided to take matters into his own hands. Mercy killing.

That's when he went crazy.

He left her, knowing that the Capitol would get her and went back to the Cornucopia, attacking anything he could and anyone he could. The Careers seemed amused by the sudden change of plans. Then, he managed to kill two of them. After that, they took him as a threat. Arrow through the eye.

Both of them. Dead. Finnick could only feel anger for himself.

That was the first night Finnick Odair ever felt the need to drink. So, he did.

He sat at the bar, tired, hoping to be drowned by the alcohol in his blood system. It wasn't working. One drink in and he already felt sick to his stomach. Still, he took a second sip of the drink and sighed.

Finnick closed his eyes, trying to get rid of the image from his head. He took a third sip.

Out of nowhere, he heard a slightly familiar voice. He had never seen this Victor's games, but his trickery was famous. Who could have ever thought of finding the end of the Arena?

"I'm sorry...about the kids, I mean," he heard the surly voice say. It was the man next to him, with stringy blond hair and looking down on what seemed to be his sixth drink. His collar was undone and he was definitely the least clean out of all of them. "It's always hard the first time."

That's when his name finally popped into Finnick's head: Haymitch Abernathy.

"I'm sorry about yours," Finnick said quietly. District Twelve never really had any victors, considering it never got any sponsors. They always got the worst stylists, and they were the least sponsored tributes out of all of them. Haymitch had been lucky; he knew how the Games worked, and how to get to the Capitol's hearts.

Haymitch looked at Finnick for a moment. His eyes were bloodshot, but he didn't seem as drunk as others would be at this stage. He looked at Finnick, as if judging him, and then took the young man's drink away.

"Don't start this now. You're too young for that life. Take it from me," Haymitch said and Finnick scowled. Who was he to say this, when he had obviously made the same 'mistake'? "The first time is always the worst. You...you just have to realize that it isn't your fault," he told Finnick.

Finn furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why do you drink, then?" Finnick asked a bit too curiously.

Haymitch looked at him, put his hand on the boy's shoulder, and pursed his lips. "The Capitol can take away more things than your liberty, Finnick Odair." He looked straight into Finnick's eyes, as if to get the boy to understand.

At that moment, their conversation was interrupted by the bartender.

"Mr. Odair? There's some Peacekeepers here asking to take you to see President Snow," he said. Finnick suddenly felt his insides churn with fear. What could he possibly want from him?

"Now."


	4. Chapter 4: Dirty

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _The Hunger Games_, Suzanne Collins does. Here's Chapter 4!

Finnick Odair had only been in the Presidential Mansion once: during the victory tour. The beauty of the Presidential mansion still astonished him. It was bigger than any Justice Hall he'd ever seen. From the ceiling hanged beautiful, glass chandeliers. The walls were painted in gold, something that had shocked him the first time. So many districts without enough food to eat...and the walls were painted with gold. Ridiculous.

Still, the beauty was astounding. Finnick could say that, but the beauty of the mansion was shaded by the white-clothed soldiers leading him into the President's office.

Finnick was trying to stay calm, but the panic was still there. President Snow didn't seem like the kind of man to invite a district citizen into his office for fun. That, and he had never even held a conversation with the man. When he was crowned victor, Snow had only congratulated Finnick and left. So, Finnick thought he had done something wrong.

The peacekeepers opened the door to him, and Finnick swallowed. He walked in and stood as the doors closed behind him. He didn't want to push his limits, knowing the strength of the most powerful man in Panem.

They stayed there in silence for a couple of minutes. Just as Finnick was about to speak, the President began.

"Finnick Odair. Fifteen years old, former District 4 tribute, and victor of the 65th Annual Hunger Games," the President drawled in his Capitol accent. He didn't look, but spoke, like anyone in the Capitol.

Finnick didn't know how to respond.

"Sit," the man continued. He kept his eyes on Finnick, as if cautious about what the former Victor might do. Finnick listened, and went to sit down at Snow's desk. The closer he got, the stronger the scent of roses and blood got.

Finnick's gust suddenly filled with fear. Very quickly, he sat down and tried to look as attentive as possible. Snow sat with him, too.

"You're a handsome boy, aren't you? Some people would kill to have your looks, let alone have you on their bed," he said in a very normal voice, as if it was sometimes he talked about any other way. Finnick's eyes widened. What?

"What do you mean?" FInnick asked very quietly. He felt...revolted at the thought. The disgusting Capitol women wanted him? He wasn't really interested, at all.

"It means, Mr. Odair, that you are a prize to be won," the president leaned back against the leather chair and tangled his fingers together, waiting for Finnick to respond. Finnick still didn't know what he meant, but President Snow noticed that.

"A prize for one night, I should think," he said slyly, and his snake-like eyes suddenly looked lethal. Finnick swallowed. "If you choose to object, there will be...consequences."

Finnick's eyes widened. Was he threatening Finn? "What type of consequences?" he stuttered out, looking down at his lap rather than into the President's eyes.

"We can arrange an accident, you know. Your father, he works at the docks right?" There ws that sly smile. President Snow was a horrible man, that was for sure. Finnick hadn't expected that he would be so cruel and vicious.

Finnick couldn't let anyone else die.

Very quietly, Finnick made a decision. "Who am I supposed to see?" Finnick said, mortified. His eyes were wide, he was shaking slightly, and he was...defenseless. He wasn't used to it. The President smiled at the boy's reaction. He seemed to take into great consideration the fact that his citizens were afraid of him.

"Have you ever met my daughter, Cornelia Snow?"

* * *

><p>In the Mentor's compartments, there was a bathroom filled with steam. The had been running for what seemed like hours. Inside, there was a boy, sitting on the shower floor. His arms were wrapped around his knees, and he had his head tucked into his lap. His hair stuck to his forehead, but he didn't mind it at all. What bothered him was the smell of roses, which seemed to choke him.<p>

How could he live with that? He felt violated.

He was violated.

He felt dirty.

Finnick leaned his head back against the shower wall. He wanted to go home. Only one more day in the Capitol, and he was going home. Only one more night to deal with the vicious woman. She was twenty-one. Six years older than him. Ceasar Flickerman told the people that they were lovers, something that many people believed. They would be heartbroken when he was given to someone else. He wanted nothing to do with any of them.

At the moment, he was Daddy's gift for getting a job. Sometimes, Finnick couldn't help but cry when he was with her. It was the worst feeling in the world. It wasn't what he'd wanted, at all. Of course, that made her feel guilty.

"I'm sure you can borrow some money," she often offered, attempting to comfort him. Finn only turned away when she spoke. He didn't want to hear her. Finnick had enough money, he just wanted it to stop.

When he did that, she frowned.

"You know, daddy didn't mean to kill the tributes. He just didn't like their alliance," she said once. President Snow, Finnick realized, had more control over the arena than the tributes thought.

"I asked him to save you, too. You were too handsome to die," she told him as he got dressed to leave. More knowledge, that Finnick didn't care for. It only terrified him. If that was the reason so many people had died, Finnick didn't want to look handsome.

All Finnick would say was goodnight to Cornelia, his voice sounding barely like a whisper, before he was escorted out of the house by peacekeepers.

Lovers.

That was the furthest thing from what they were. Finnick was a slave to the Capitol, now, and it only took him that long to realize his fate. He was only going to do this to protect his family.

But as Finnick sat in the shower, he thought. He didn't want anything to do with the Capitol anymore, yes, but...secrets. Cornelia had told him well guarded secrets of the President, her own father. At times like these, secrets were valuable...especially if they spoke against the President.

Then it hit him. If he wanted any payment, he wanted secrets. Out of all the pain and torment, he would get secrets from the President's closest officials.

'_Who knows_,' he thought to himself. '_Maybe they could be valuable one day._'


	5. Chapter 5: Hope

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _The Hunger Games, _it is owned by the lovely Suzanne Collins.

Every time Finnick went to the market, there was a girl there that always caught his eye. She always made nets at her store, which Finnick's parents and him often visited. She was always too concentrated on the net to talk to him, or even notice it. Finnick sort of liked that. He didn't like to be recognized for his 'many lovers' in the Capitol.

At seventeen, Finnick felt as if things were getting better. District 4 hadn't won any of the games yet, but they were trying a lot harder. Even though the Careers weren't interested, they always made it well into the Games, ending up in the top five. That gave Finnick some hope. But he still felt horrible when one of the tributes died. He just sat with Mags for a while, then, and tried to remember that it was the Capitol that was killing kids...not him.

Things at home were easier, too. There were still nightmares, and his mom was more protective of him than ever, but they were closer. Finnick's dad talked to him a lot (something they hadn't done since Finnick's sister died) and his mom didn't ask too many questions about the Capitol. She knew not to ask them, because either way, Finnick wasn't going to answer them.

But one of the highlights of being in District 4 was going to the market, and noticing the girl with the long brown hair and green eyes.

Finnick usually tried to avoid girls, but this was different. He noticed a lot about her. Her hands were smooth, even though she worked with nets. She was tan, obviously, from spending too much time under the sun. She had freckles that spread over her cheeks, and when she smiled at someone, she had dimples on both side of her mouth. Still, as much as Finnick noticed her...he didn't want to.

He just couldn't help it.

He could slightly remember her from when he went to high school. She had been shorter back then, and obviously had just begun to grow into young adulthood. He remembered that she had been crying during her first reaping as well. That was one of Finnick's first memories of her, seeing her cry. He had felt a lot of sympathy for her. He also recognized her from when the lunch room, where she sat with people in her year. Finnick had seen her in her youth, but he never expected that he would see her like...this.

He sort of felt something that he had never felt before. He couldn't quite put a word on it, but all he knew was that he felt a heavy weight in his chest when her eyes locked with his.

One day, Finnick was at the center of the market. He was there with his friend, Michael, who now worked at the docks. He had come to Finnick for some help on feeding his siblings. He was too young to leave, but too old to sign up for tessarae. Finnick didn't mind helping at all. He didn't know what to do with a lot of the money that he received. That was why he used it to help his friends. It was a sunny day in District 4, and things were calm at the market.

Not far from the fisherman's stand, the girl was with her friends. They were sitting on some barrels, probably talking about school, their families, and boys. As soon as Finnick heard her voice, his head turned towards her. He was distracted for a moment. Michael caught Finnick as he did so. He nudged Finnick back into reality.

"Her name is Annie," Michael said. The name rang in Finnick's head for a moment. Annie. He remembered being introduced to her once, now. It had been a very long time before though. Finnick brushed the feeling away.

"That's a nice name," he answered and concentrated on trading with the fisherman. Finnick had promised himself that he wouldn't be with anyone. He couldn't risk it, considering that President Snow had already threatened the lives of his most loved ones. The Capitol, especially, wouldn't be happy to see him fall in love with someone from his own district. Overall, it would be a bad situation for both of them.

Finnick still couldn't control his feelings.

"Go talk to her, Finn," Michael shoved Finnick with his elbow. Finnick rolled his eyes, and felt the heat rise to his cheeks.

"Stop it," Finnick said before pushing the basket of fish into Michael's arms. Finnick would buy him a million baskets of fish if he would shut up about it. But, true to his nature, Michael didn't.

Instead, he rolled his eyes and walked over to the group of girls. Finnick, suddenly feeling very anxious, followed behind him. Where else would he go? The only reason he was in the market was to spend time with his friend. The girls immediately noticed them coming over, and smiled at Annie. Was he really being that obvious? Finnick kept his distance, but stayed close enough to listen to what Michael said.

Oddly enough, Michael wasn't the first to speak.

"Hello, Michael and Finnick," Annie smiled. Her voice was as sweet as sugar when she said his name. Sugar was something that was hard to come by in District 4, and Finnick loved sugar. Finnick couldn't help but smile.

Annie smiled at him, too. Annie Cresta was known to be painfully shy. She barely talked to anyone who she didn't trust, or had bad feelings about. Yet with Finnick, she felt differently. When he smiled at her in his usual charming way, she felt warm inside. Annie didn't even know Finnick that well, but it wasn't the first time she had noticed him. They had been noticing eachother for a long time now.

She noticed him every time he came into her family's store. Every time, she watched him as he traded, and looked away when he noticed her sitting in the back. She always pretended to be working on her nets. Finnick seemed to buy a lot of stuff from her store, too.

"Hello," Finnick answered back. It seemed to him that they could be friends, at least.

* * *

><p>Many years later, as Finnick sat in District 13 making knots over and over again, he would think of their first meeting; when the Capitol hadn't touched her, and when he knew that he was falling in love. It was one of the few memories that kept him going without her there. Annie was his story of hope, like Katniss was now the hope of Panem. He had hoped that, with the help of Annie, he would be able to begin healing from all the pain.<p>

The Capitol took that hope away from him, too. It was one of the many things the Capitol had to pay for.

* * *

><p>As Finnick and Annie grew closer, the more he feared that something would happen to her. They did the best they could to keep it hidden, honestly. Finnick was paranoid about Annie. The more he knew her, the more he wanted to protect her. Protecting her seemed the most important thing to him. He could never be able to deal with himself. The more he fell in love with her, the more he couldn't bear being away from her.<p>

"What about your lovers in the Capitol?" Annie asked him one day . They often went to the beach together to avoid the peacekeepers and dirty looks. Many people thought that Finnick was a playboy, and brought shame to their district by engaging himself with so many Capitol women. To them, he had no self-honor. Being with these women was the ultimate betrayal to his people.

They sat in the sand, hand-in-hand and watching the waves hit the rocks. They often did that, especially on days when the sun was bright and the weather was perfect.

Finnick looked down when she asked that question, and couldn't help but chuckle. The thought of him having multiple lovers made him laugh, especially that they were Capitol women. There was no love involved in their relationships. Annie smiled a little bit, confused by how he found that funny.

"They're the furthest thing from being my lovers," Finnick assured her and his thumb traced the back of her hand. "If I didn't have to see them, I wouldn't," he explained. It had been a couple of weeks since Finnick had told her about what the President made him do. Finnick couldn't stand losing his only bit of happiness to the Capitol. Luckily, she understood. That was the thing about Annie. She always understood.

Annie looked at him for a moment. She often noticed when Finnick felt pain, even if it wasn't physical. His eyes glazed over a little bit, and he'd swallow hard. Sometimes, his hands would start shaking. When that happened, she would try to comfort him. Remind him that it was all in the past. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, letting go of his hand to wrap his arms around him. She rested her cheek on his shoulder.

She didn't want to be protected by Finnick. Annie had never felt that way about a boy before, and it just happened to be the boy that every girl wanted. If she had been given the choice, she wouldn't have dreamed of ever being with Finnick. That's the thing about fate. It has a way of creating good things in the worst situations. Her relationship with Finnick was unlike any other. He was broken, and he needed her help to be kept together.

"I love you, Finnick Odair," Annie whispered quietly and sighed. They both knew that. Finnick looked at her and smiled, slightly. That always made his heart pound, and forget everything that was on his minds. Those three words made him feel stronger than he had been in three years.

He turned his face a little bit and Annie looked up at him. Slowly, he leaned over and placed his lips on hers, his first true kiss with anyone he ever loved. This, was what it meant to be in love. This was what was considered to be lovers. With Annie, the Capitol didn't exist, and neither did the world. It was just the two of them, enjoying the presence of each other.

"I love you too, Annie Cresta," he whispered to her as he pulled away, a real smile growing on his face. It was the first time he felt so happy in years.


	6. Chapter 6: The Sea

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Hunger Games, _Suzanne Collins owns it and she also owns most of the characters in this fanfiction.

Mags often asked favors from Finnick, because she liked his young spirit, and she was too old to do the things that she had once been able to do. Usually, she called on him early in the morning, asked him if he was free, and told him to cancel any plans because he was going to spend the day helping her. Finnick, of course, never refused her. To him, Mags had become family.

Mags noticed immediately when Finnick was showing signs of being in love. There was an aura around him of happiness. Now, Mags had never met Finnick before his Games. She had heard stories of the trouble-maker (which she could hardly believe), and about his family, but she had never had the honor to see him as a child, when he had been untouched by the Capitol. Still, when she saw him the moment he went to pick her up, she saw a glimpse of a happy, enjoyable boy.

"Who's the lucky lady?" She asked him as they walked through the market. Finnick held a big basket of food. It held many types of food, like bread and fish, and some chickens. That was somewhat rare in District 4, but some people poached or kill any animal that came near the fence. But, the fence was on most of the time.

Mags was going to make a dinner for her family, considering that they were coming over to her house. Her granddaughter was turning twelve, so she wanted to make her feel better. Finnick was invited by Mags, but he had denied it. It was best to deal with these things with family.

"What are you talking about?" Finnick asked rolled her eyes.

It was a blistering hot day in District 4. He had been planning on taking Annie to the beach after her school day was over. He was going to head over to their meeting place after he was done helping Mags. Finnick thought they had been doing a good job of keeping it a secret. If Mags knew, though, did that mean that the peacekeepers could know, too?

"You're much happier than usual, you know? You smile more. You should be in love more often," she said as she went to trade with a balding man selling thread. She had been talking about getting her granddaughter some bows.

Mags never bought the 'lovers' ruse that the Capitol had set up. He had actually met a lot of other tributes as well, who were going through the same thing. While some of them hated it the way he did, some of them enjoyed what they got out of the deal. They could get money, jewels, or power in office. Still, they had lost a lot more than they could gain.

Now, Finnick was worried. Annie and he had been together for a little over six months. His parents didn't know that he was with Annie, no one but Michael (and now Mags) knew. But, the Capitol knew a lot of secrets. So many secrets. They knew secrets about Finnick's life that he never revealed to anyone in the Capitol. Like his father's job and schedule, his mother's favorite hobby, and the secret of his sister's death.

They knew secrets.

* * *

><p>Finnick only had one sibling. Her name had been Marianna, and she had been two years older than Finnick. She had tinsel colored hair, like Finnick, that cascaded down to her back in wild curls. She had blue eyes,and freckles. In the District, she was considered a true beauty, inside and out.<p>

If you asked anyone, they would tell you that she was protective, kind, and nurturing. Even though her younger brother was only two years younger, she was like a second mother to him. She would never let anything bad happen to her baby brother. During this time, they had lived in the poor part of District 4, by the abandoned shipyard. They had enough to take care of one another, though, and her father didn't approve of his kids doing extra work to help them. Marianna would do anything it took to give her brother a little bit extra.

"Peacekeeper Richard said that he might have some extra work for me at his house," she told Finnick as they walked home from school. It was a rainy day, and Finnick couldn't help but think of his father, fishing in really dangerous conditions. But when Marianna, said that, he got worried.

At the age of twelve, he wasn't so sure that his fourteen year old sister should be going to the man's house. Finnick didn't like the peacekeepers. They seemed sort of..well, scary to him. "I don't know if Dad will let you, Mari. He doesn't like Richard," Finn reminded her. In all honesty, his father didn't like peacekeepers at all. They crossed the bridge over to the shipyard, and Mari rolled his eyes at him.

What the people would also say to you was that she was defiant. She would do anything in her power to keep her brother healthy, and her mother and father happy. Even if it meant getting in trouble while doing it.

"I wasn't exactly planning on telling him. I'm going to tell him that I'm going to help Rachel's sister make some nets at her store. That they need all the help they can get getting ready for trout season," she related her plan. Finnick fixed his sack over his shoulder and forrowed his eyebrows. He didn't like the idea at all.

Marianna, noticing his apprehension on approving the plan, wrapped her arm around her brother's shoulder. "Don't worry about me, Finn! She's going too. You're my little brother, I should be worrying about you, silly," she ruffled his hair and then kissed his cheek. Finnick sighed, but nodded. She always knew what she was doing.

The next day, Finnick decided to help his father patch up the roof of their cottage. They had worked on it most of the day. His mom had made tuna sandwiches for them to eat at lunch, and by the time they finished, it was almost night time. That's when his father became worried, and so did Finnick.

"I'm sure she's okay, Odin," his mother said as his dad got ready to go out and look for her. Finnick sat at the table, looking at his food. He was so scared for his sister. He knew he shouldn't have trusted her going to the peacekeepers. His father put his hat on and as he put his boots on, there was an urgent knock on the door.

Lucia immediately went to the door. When she opened it, there was a bloody mess of a girl. Like that, Marianna fell limp in her mother's arms.

During the night, Marianna just cried. That was all she could do, cry. And as she cried, the worse it got. She stopped going to school. Every morning, Finnick would help her get out of bed. He would give her some breakfast, toast and some tea, and he would kiss her on the forehead. His mother took care of her from then on. Peacekeeper Richards stayed in his position, but didn't look at the Odair's in the eye anymore.

Often times, when he got home, she would be sitting on their balcony, watching the waves roll in at the dock. She would say 'hi', and then go back to watching. This went on for a year. As her face and body healed, Finnick knew that he would never see his sister the same way again. She had multiple scars on her face, and all over her body. Finnick didn't want to think about what they had done to her, to make her so broken.

One night, she went into Finnick's small room, and laid in the bed next to him. Finnick, woken up by this action, opened his eyes and looked at her for a moment. She was holding him, tightly. She looked like she had been crying before.

"Finnick, you have to be strong," she told him in the quiet of the night. The only sounds were the waves crashing against rock, crickets, and his heavy breathing. Somehow, her words meant more than he could understand. "Whatever happens tomorrow, or the next day; stay strong for us."

"What do you mean?" he asked her. Later on, Finnick would scold himself for asking that. He had been sleepy, and wasn't quite understanding the context. But Marianna showed no anger towards that. She only smiled, faintly, and ran her hand over his cheek.

"Don't trust them, Finnick. Keep mom and dad held together. Don't apply for Tessarae. Don't let them break this family more," she whispered to him, and kissed his head.

"And don't forget that it was never your fault."

That was the last time Finnick ever saw his sister.

Marianna Odair's funeral was quiet. She had hanged herself from a tree near the house. Many people who knew her came to see her, and say their goodbyes. It was the first time he'd ever see his mother and father cry.

As he looked into her wooden coffin, she looked almost peaceful. It was as if everything that had happened to her didn't matter anymore. Finnick couldn't help but look at her. All he could hope for was that she found the freedom she so dearly looked for.

"I'll keep my promise," he whispered quietly to her, before they closed the casket and said their last goodbyes.

* * *

><p>As Finnick went to meet Annie, he passed by his old home. He couldn't help but stop to look. It was abandoned now, with a broken window. The roof they had repaired almost five years before was torn through again, and it looked faded. Like a distant memory. If he tried hard enough, he could see Marianna still sitting there sometimes, looking towards the sea, hoping to see something the rest of them couldn't. When he looked across the sea, he knew that she watched over him and his family.<p>

Across the sea, stood her hope. So, she went to get it.


	7. Chapter 7: Performance

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _The Hunger Games,_ Suzanne Collins does!

* * *

><p>"I'll tell you why you want to sponsor my tributes," Finnick said to the old Capitol couple he was talking to. He took a sip of the white liquor, which burned as it went down his throat. "The Games are set in a port, and in all honesty; we have an unfair advantage. And Romana, I wouldn't want to see you lose your money," he took her hand and smiled. The betting center, at this time during the Games, were extremely full. Everyone was placing their bets on the final five tributes left.<p>

Finnick's tributes, Melina and Jacob, were in the top five. It was now that sponsors would help them the most. But, they had a major threat against them.

An eighteen year old girl from District 7, that had a lethal swing with an axe.

He was hoping to send them some medicine, and food. Melina and Jacob had made a plan to kill the last remaining tributes, but Melina's arm was badly wounded; she wouldn't be able to go through with it. Mags was helping as well, sending the kids another gift from the gamemakers.

"Well, Finnick...I don't know. Everyone likes this Johanna girl," Romana said and she looked to her husband, who smoked a pipe and thought thoroughly for a moment. They were filthy rich, and always managed to bet on the winner. Finnick was hoping that the winner was one of his own.

"She might be doing well, but you heard their plan! Its bound to work," he explained to her and her husband then sighed.

"You're right, Finnick. I do like the Johanna girl, but I just cannot see her winning against this plan," he told her. She sighed and nodded. "We'll send them some medicine," he told Finnick and Finnick could barely control how happy he felt. He thanked them quickly, and went to click place the sponsor's orders.

Later on, Johanna was crowned victor. The medicine and food was worthless to them. By the time it got to them, they were dead on the floor. Johanna took the medicine and the food, before moving on to the last two tributes.

But as she killed her last tribute, and Finnick watched the battle, he saw that glint in her eyes. Regret, pain. Guilt. He had seen that look in his own eyes over the many times he had seen his own Games. It was a favorite among the Capitol citizens, and was shown on Panem TV all of the time.

Finnick wanted to meet her.

At her coronation ceremony, all mentors were told to go. She was the new victor, after all, and she would soon join their ranks. No one had expected District 7 to win. She has been so weak at the beginning. That had, obviously, been her tactic from the moment she was reaped. She knew that acting weak would mean that other tributes would think her to be an easy kill; which she was not.

She had definitely tricked them, and half of the other mentors. We all thought we had a chance to win, but we were outsmarted.

"Thank you, Mr. President," she barely whispered the words and tried not to look in his snake-like eyes. She didn't smile, or show any possible admiration of her reward. That wasn't what she wanted, after all. It was easy to tell her by her eyes she despised them-all of them-just as Finnick did.

At the end of the ceremony, Finnick finally had a small chance to talk to her.

"Hello, Ms. Mason. I'm Finnick Odair," he introduced himself as she got some food for herself. She looked up from the table that held the chocolate covered strawberries. She was going to go back to her district very soon, which meant that she had a limited amount of time to enjoy these delicacies. He looked at the sugar cubes at the table, took one, and popped it into his mouth.

When she didn't respond, he continued. "Congratulations."

"You should hardly congratulate me when twenty-three people are dead on my account. I killed two of your own, as well," she snapped at him. She turned to look at him angrily and she took one of the strawberries, examining it before biting the tip. "You're supposed to hate me."

Finnick sighed. He understood, because he had that fear as well. They were the same age, though, and the pain she felt must have been equal to his. He wanted to tell her that, eventually, it would all be okay. But he couldn't promise her that. There were the morphlings from District 6, and the mentor who had recently died from a suicide.

"I'm a victor too, you know? But even though, at one point, I killed kids they were supposed to protect, we're still friends. At one point, they had to kill people like themselves. Like I did. Like we both did.

"We all live with the guilt, Johanna. We didn't want to kill them, Johanna. The Capitol forced us to," Finnick's words were met with a disapproving look from Johanna. It was something Finnick was used to.

"I don't trust you, Finnick Odair," she began. "With your Capitol girlfriends and your easy way of winning. You're the Capitol's pet, you don't know suffering. You Careers are so pampered by your Capitol owners, that you don't even know what it means to starve," she told him. She said a lot of treasonous things in a couple of sentences. Very close to a peacekeeper. In any other situation, she would be arrested and killed, or turned into an Avox. Finnick's eyes were wide. She definitely had a big mouth on her. She was also very courageous.

"You're not as weak as you seem, hmmn?" Finnick told her. She scoffed and nodded, as if it were obvious. She didn't seem to care.

One of the peacekeepers called her over to escort her to the train. It was time for her to go. They would all be going home, they would all leave the sunny Capitol and the beautiful colors.

"I'll see you later, pretty boy."

That was a blow in the gut for Finnick.

* * *

><p>"Do you remember when Snow's wife died?" Melania asked Finnick over dinner. He was trying to stay quiet, but she obviously wouldn't let him. She was one of the gamemakers in that year's games, and she obviously requested Finnick as her prize for such an exciting Hunger Games.<p>

Finnick nodded and picked at the stuff that they called 'sushi'. Uncooked fish from a foreign country that existed many years before. In District 4, it was unthought of to eat raw fish. It would cause very dangerous diseases.

They were at a strange restaurant in the Capitol. It was completely black, with one solitary window facing the Presidential Mansion. It made Finnick paranoid. He wore a simple suit that his old stylist gave to him as a present, while the other woman wore an extravagant green dress, a ponytailed black wig, and gray contacts. She seemed normal compared to the crazy people that surrounded them.

"Well, I heard that he killed her," she told him and took a sip of some old wine created from the grapes made at District 11. Suddenly, Finnick was interested. He put his utensil down and looked at her. He wanted to hear this story.

"How?" he pushed the story to go on.

"Well, he has many mistresses," she began and rolled her eyes. She probably thought that it was impolite of her President, but Finnick didn't doubt him. After all, he was selling Finnick to his favorite people. "His wife found out, though, so she threatened to expose him for some wild secrets. President Snow didn't want to ruin the family image he set up, so he stopped having affairs. For a time, things were good.

"Then she got pregnant for the third time. Everyone was so happy. I was ecstatic! Cornelia was already nine, and we love babies here in the Capitol. Throughout the months of the pregnancy, he started having affairs again. He could never remain loyal to her for too long. Since this time he knew what she would do, she decided to threaten to take away their kids this time."

"But...they're still there," Finnick told her and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. So the President was abusive. That was interesting. She gave Finnick a disapproving look for interrupting and went on with her story.

"Yes, they are still there. I'm getting to that point. Anyway, towards the end she just...stopped going out in public. Some say that it was because he was hitting her, and she was too ashamed to show her face. But we were all so happy when we got the announcement that she was in labor with little Bennett. Then, came the announcement that she died in childbirth...or so we were told.

"A nurse was in the bathroom while Mrs. Snow held Bennett for the first time, cleaning the bathroom for the Missus in case she needed it. Then, President Snow walked in. The nurse was obviously terrified and watched through a little slit in the doorway as the President leaned over to his wife, and said to her:

'You will never be able to protect them.'

Before Mrs. Snow could do anything, he took Bennett from her with one arm, and injected her with nightlock in the other. She was dead by the time Snow left the room, and the nurse could help her."

Finnick looked at her with a sickened expression. How could the President do that to his wife? The mother of his children? A woman who was only heartbroken by the fact that he didn't truly love her. He took a mother away from his children, and screwed them up for life. He knew that Cornelia was a little bit unstable, and now Finnick finally understood why.

"So...he just killed her? Instead of just stopping his affairs? Why? Why would he give her a whole memorial, then?" Finnick asked all the questions that were on his mind. Melania suddenly looked at him uncomfortably, and she had a look of regret. Maybe she finally realized that she shouldn't have told a District citizen.

He realized that, too. That's when he turned on his charm. He smiled at her coquettishly, and took her hand into his. "Don't worry," he assured her and caressed the back of her palm. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

She smiled a little bit, but sighed. She was definitely going to tell him. He could see it in her eyes.

"My mother had the same nurse at the time," was all that she said before she ordered the check. Finnick wanted to curse to himself. It would be one of those long nights.

* * *

><p>The next year, as he worked feverishly to get Annie ready for the Games, he didn't pay attention to the avoxes. Between mentoring Annie and spending all the time he could with her, he didn't even see them. He never noticed the similarity of one avox to someone he had known. He knew he remembered her, though. He couldn't make the connection.<p>

He didn't realize that it was the girl he'd had dinner with a year before.

He didn't notice her until she served him sushi one night in the tribute's apartment. They couldn't say a word to each other, but with one look, he knew that she had received this punishment for the conversation that they'd had at that dinner.

* * *

><p>When he got back home, and Annie met him at the train station. It was the happiest he had been in the past month. As he held her in his arms, and kissed her head, he knew what he had to do.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8: A Proposal

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Hunger Games_ by Suzanne Collins. Obviously, she does.

* * *

><p>It was the year of the 70th Hunger Games. And for Finnick, it was a wonderful day to go to the beach.<p>

Finnick and Annie decided to go have a picnic. They walked hand-in-hand on their beach, wetting their feet in the water as they tried to find the perfect spot to go sit. She wore a gray dress, something simple that her mother had made her when she was younger. On the way to meet Finnick, she'd found a flower. She put it in her hair, just to make herself feel prettier when she went to see him.

It didn't matter to Finnick, though. She looked beautiful wearing her school clothes, dirty and ragged. She looked beautiful no matter what.

It was good to go somewhere that they felt free.

Finnick, at nineteen, was already an adult. At this time, he would be working with his friends at the docks, spending his whole day out at the sea. But he had no need for it. Annie would soon graduate from high school, and she'd probably get a job as a seamstress or making nets. She was pretty good at making them as it was. At any rate, Finnick didn't care much for that. He already knew that she wouldn't have to worry about that for long.

What Finnick wanted more than anything was to be with her, forever. He wouldn't be able to live without her, even for a moment. She was always there, in the corner of his mind. She was his strength.

At that point, Annie and Finnick had gone through the the proper steps to meet eachother's parents. His parents loved Annie, considering that when she was near their son, he smiled like had as a child. With her, he was young and radiant again. Finnick even went as far as introducing her to Mags, who said that they reminded her of her and her husband when they were young. Finnick hoped that they would last as long.

Annie's family, though, wasn't as easy to convince. They were big believers of what the Capitol said, even though their daughter didnt'. They thought that Finnick would hurt her, that he would cheat on her like he 'cheated on all the Capitol women'. IT took a long time to convince them of how much he truly loved her. In the end, when he  
>found out that her family was struggling to feed Annie's three younger sister, she bought them enough food to last them for three months. That's when they realized that Finnick truly loved her, and everything that was important to her.<p>

A few days before their little exploit, Finnick had woken up early to go to the market. That morning, the market was especially crowded. As they filed into the tiny stores to get what they needed, Finnick only looked for one. Usually, it was empty. It wasn't as if a lot of people needed jewelery in the District.

Finally, at the very corner of the market, he found the store. As he entered it, he saw the man, bored. When he heard the door open, he immediately snapped up and stood straight.

"Finnick Odair, what are you doing here?" he asked Finnick. For a moment, Finnick swallowed, before sighing. He didn't know if he had come to the right person about this. It was sort of private.

As he said that, Finnick took out a pearl from his pocket.

"Do you think you could make this into a ring?" Finnick asked quietly. The man's eyes widened.

Finnick was planning a very private proposal for someone.

He would do anything to keep it a secret, he told the man. With a little extra money, the man promised to keep the project a secret, and to do his best job on the ring.

The same morning that they made a date for the beach, Finnick went to pick up the ring. He was happy to be doing this. Not only that, but he was hopeful that she would say yes. He honestly didn't know what he'd do if she rejected him.

"Finnick, who is this for?" the jeweler asked him, a grin on his face. Finnick wasn't telling anyone, not even his parents, about their plans. He definitely wasn't going to tell the jeweler. Finnick took out his money, without answering the question, and gave the man his money.

"Someone special," he explained softly and waited for the little box."And there'll be a little bit more payout involved if you don't tell anyone about this," he offered. The man pursed his lips, but nodded.

As Finnick left, Finnick held the little box in his hand. It was heavier than anything he had ever carried, because it was...it was important. It was another step for Finnick to get better.

When he went home, Finnick took a long shower. It was still a couple of hours before he and Annie would meet up and he felt like he was going to be sick. He hadn't felt this nervous since the morning of the 65th Hunger Games, when his life was at stake. But Finnick also felt fear, mixed in with all that anxiety.

And he wouldn't let fear stop him. It didn't stop him before.

* * *

><p>"Finnick, are you okay?" Annie asked him, her voice very soft and worried. She had been sitting on his lap, talking about how school was. He had been staring off towards the ocean, with a clouded look in his eyes as she spoke. Quickly, he snapped back into reality. Annie raised her eyebrow at him. In her opinion, Finnick had been acting oddly all day.<p>

He smiled at the fact that she was in his arms, and nodded, kissing her cheek.

"Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine Annie. Don't worry about me, little fish," he assured her, before taking some grapes from the basket and eating them. 'It's time', he thought. 'It's now or never'.

Finnick took a deep breath and swallowed. Finnick had always been pretty good with words, but he felt speechless at that moment.

"Annie, close your eyes."

She looked at him for a moment. Confused, and not know what he was going to do, she took his hand. It was scratchy, covered with sand from when he had been drawing circles in it. She didn't understand why he was so anxious.

"Annie...I don't know how to say this, in all honesty. You didn't know me before the games, but you make me feel as if I was never in them. I'm happy with you, happier than I have ever been before. If it wasn't for you, I don't think that there would be any way to live through all of this..."

"Finnick..." Annie began quietly, but he quickly shushed her. She kept her eyes closed anyway.

"Annie Cresta, I love you. I love you with the depth of an ocean, with the length of tha shore. Its never ending, and it will keep growing until the day I die. Even after. You're everything I need in my world, and no person could ever understand my love for you.

"In all honesty, you're the only reason I still have hope, little fish. And there is nothing in this world that would make me happier than the promise of being yours, forever," Finnick took out the ring and turned the hand he held over. He swallowed, and slipped the ring on the her finger. Immediately, Annie opened her eyes and let out a samll gasp.

"Will you marry me, Annie?" Finnick asked the question, softly, and waited for her to respond.

At first, she didn't say anything, she only looked at the ring for a while. Finnick was terrified, for obvious reasons. Soon after, she nodded desperately and kissed Finnick. Finnick, suddenly filled with relief and joy, kissed her back with just as much passion.

He knew he didn't have to worry about rejection.

* * *

><p>President Snow looked out towards the Capitol. It was in the winter, and he had received word of a crisis in District Twelve, not that he would do much about it. THey hadn't been able to meet the quota for coal that season, and...well, he wasn't going to waste food that could be for his city.<p>

He didn't even think of the Districts most of the time. Coranelious Snow only want to keep his power. The Districts deserved every bit of misery that they received. After all, President Snow's father was the victim of their outcry.

It had turned from his father's battle, to his own. The Districts would suffer, and so would their citizens.  
>"Mr. President?" he heard a voice call out behind him. His secretary.<p>

He turned around and faced his lavish office, decorated by only the finest stylists in Panem. It's grandeur showed how much...well, wealth he had as President, as well as his strength, for no other citizen in Panem could afford such splendor.

"Yes, Rovane?" he said to her and turned his velvet chair to face her. Very calmly, she placed a note on his desk and waited for him to read it.

"It's from District 4," she explained. "Its, apparently, urgent."

President Snow grimaced, but picked up the note. He tore it open and read it. Halfway through it, he scoffed.

"Get Katerina on the phone, dear," he told her in his usual charming way, and as she scurried away, he tore the note up and threw it into the trash.

If Finnick Odair thought that he was going to get married, he was wrong. President Snow had let it slide that the boy had been seeing a girl back home, but this was against the law. It was against everything, and the fact that the boy now belonged to the Capitol made things worse.

He couldn't kill Finnick Odair without causing chaos in the Capitol. He would do the next best thing.

"Y-Yes, Mr. President?" Katerina quickly asked on the screen, her big green eyes wide. She had been sleeping, and wasn't expecting a phone call late at night. She was absolutely did not meet the extravagance of the Capitol's standards that late at night.

"Katerina...we finally figured out who this year's victor will be. Do you know, by any chance, of a girl Annie Cresta?"


	9. Chapter 9: Challenged

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Hunger Games _by Suzanne Collins. If you didn't already notice, mean :)

* * *

><p>With a bang, Finnick's life began falling apart<p>

* * *

><p>The morning of that reaping was simple, as always. He got up, ate breakfast, and spent some time with his parents. They worried about his trip to the Capitol, as any parent would, and they were basically strangling him with so many questions. It was hard for them, since they barely knew what happened while he was there. They only knew that Finnick was uncomfortable talking about it. But, since Finnick knew what was coming, he could honestly care less. He was used to it.<p>

"Remember; don't hesitate on calling us while you're there, okay? You didn't call last year, and I know you were busy, but I still was extremely worried...I'll be here most of the time...so...please, just call?" His mom told him as she pinned her bun to her head messily. She always left that to the last minute. Then again, Finnick couldn't complain. He had barely woken up and they were about to leave. Luckily, he had packed the day before. He just needed to get dressed and go pick up Mags.

What Finnick didn't know was that his mother was worried, desperately. She had suspicions on what the Capitol did to her son, but she knew not to mention it to him. And she honestly didn't like the idea that the Capitol had complete control of his life, and that his family couldn't do anything to protect him.

She knew that if the Capitol ever found out about Annie, she would lose her boy forever.

Finnick nodded and ate the seaweed bread, trying not to worry about anything and attempting to keep his breakfast down. He knew that if he worried, his fear would come up. And Finnick was desperately tired of being afraid of everything. Fear, in the end, always got in the way of his happiness.

"Did you say bye to Annie?" his father asked as Finnick chugged down his coffee. Finnick couldn't answer, but he nodded. His father was extremely supportive of Annie and Finnick's relationship. He had lost almost two kids in the span of two years. He was just happy to see Finnick not heading down the spiral that Marianna had gone down through.

"Last night, at her house. She decided to set the date after the Games, after all," he told him and his mother smiled widely. Finnick and Annie had decided on having a small wedding at his house. Her family, and his would be there. There would also be two or three friends, the ones that knew about their relationship. It had all been strategic, so that no one would ever guess that there was even a relationship. It was a very secretive event. They would follow the traditional ceremony with the net, and would wait five years until they could get their civil papers from the Justice Building.

"We'll watch out for her while you're gone. We promise," his mother said very kindly, before ushering him upstairs to get ready.

They said their goodbyes, and Finnick went to get Mags, so that they could accompany each other to the Justice Building.

* * *

><p>With a bang, Finnick began to lose everything<p>

* * *

><p>"Don't worry, Annie, it's your last year," Annie's mother said tied a ribbon on her daughter's head, creating a light blue headband. Annie looked very pretty that day, as did most of the girls on Reaping day. It was a standard that they would dress their best in case they went to the Capitol. But Annie didn't care about that. She was nervous.<p>

Annie Cresta had safely avoided the games for five years, and this was the end. At eighteen, she was facing the sixth reaping; her final one. She expected to escape the Hunger Games, like many of her friends.

Annie swallowed and looked into the mirror, avoiding her mother's eyes. The chances were low, yes, but it still didn't take the fear away. Being with Finnick showed her what could become of a tribute. He was the example of what could happen to a normal boy. Victor, as Annie had learned, wasn't a title; it was a punishment.

"I know, Mom," Annie answered bleakly and sighed. On days like these, she would rather not speak at all. She had always been soft-spoken, and when under stress, she didn't talk at all. Reaping Day was one of the most stressful days of the year.

Luckily, none of her younger siblings were eligible for the Reaping. Her mother only had to worry about her. Vinny was eleven, and she would be in the Reaping the next year. Always outspoken, they knew that if she were to face the Games, she had a likely chance to survive. Either way, Annie didn't know what their mother would do if any of her kids got reaped.

One last time in the main square, and she would be free. The last reaping meant freedom, for herself. She wouldn't have to face death in such a gruesome way. She wasn't going to have to worry about facing the Capitol until she and Finnick had kids.

Kids, with Finnick Odair. Now that was a wonderful thought. Being married to Finnick, and becoming Mrs. Odair had become a very big hope of hers. It was something she had to look forward to. A future with the love of her life.

And when they legally got married at the Justice Building, the Capitol wouldn't be able to find any way to stop them from being together.

She took the ring off her ring finger and put it away in a small box. For a Capitol event, Annie couldn't wear that. A ring yelled 'marriage', and she was young; at eighteen, she wasn't even allowed to think about marrying someone (according to the Capitol). Even when she wore it around the District, no one questioned her about it. They only assumed that it was Finnick who proposed.

Just then, the alarms rang.

"I think you're ready, my dear. Go on ahead while I get your siblings ready and start tonight's dinner," she squeezed her daughter's shoulders and sighed. Annie stood and turned to her, hugging her mother. Her mother kissed her forehead, before sending her off to the main square.

* * *

><p>With a bang, Finnick lost all hope.<p>

* * *

><p>Finnick sat at the edge of his seat on the stage, next to Mags. She was asleep (as she had said she would be). He scanned the crowd of emerging kids and tried to find Annie in the crowd. After a while, he caught her gaze, and smiled a little bit. She didn't smile back. She was very serious, keeping her eyes on Katerina as she went on in a new speech by the Capitol.<p>

It reminded the districts that they were to be punished for their heinous crimes during the Dark Days, and that they would be punished forever. There would be no chance for them to escape their fate, for how they mistreated the people who cared for them, and loved them: every sacrifice was worth it to achieve peace.

It was more threatening than anything else.

"Now, District 4 hasn't won any of the past five games, but I am sure that if we try hard enough this year, we can bring this district the honor it deserves!" she said enthusiastically. This year, she wore a light brown dress, accented by black lips and a sandy colored wig. It was weird, coming from her.

Annie's expression still hadn't changed. She was just trying to endure through the last Reaping where her life would be at risk.

She smiled at all the un-enthusiastic kids in the crowd and cleared her throat when no one cheered her words on. She rolled her eyes as she turned around to take her gloves off, but then she put her television face back on and continued with the show.

Finnick wasn't worried in the least bit.

"Now, for the girl tribute!"

The day was unbearably hot. Katerina had to be melting under her garb, as was Finnick and half of the kids in the crowd. The sun was high above them, its rays hitting them directly without any source of protection against them. It wasn't any different from any other day in District Four, but for a Capitol woman, it was hell.

It was one of the things Finnick would remember later on.

The camera zoomed in on the bowl as she reached in, and cleared her throat. She tore the slip and took a deep breath, looking out into the girl's crowd.

Finnick just wanted the Reaping to be over.

"Annie Cresta, please come to the stage as the new female tribute of District Four!" she yelled, and the whole District-even the birds-went silent.

The world around Finnick went silent. Nothing existed, except the face of the girl he loved. The fear that filled it, the horror that she felt. It was all visible in her face as the peacekeepers moved to go get her in her state of shock.

Finnick Odair was going to scream. He wanted to yell, he wanted to grab a weapon and kill them. All of the peacekeepers, all of the Capitol's camera men. He wanted to kill them. He felt lethal, and he was about to explode.

He wanted to yell for her, yell at her to run, that he could protect her. He wanted to yell at someone to volunteer for her, to protect her from the Games. But there was no one there for her, just as there had been no one there for him. Mags, out of nowhere, had awoken, and took his hand.

Finnick, suddenly, had tears in his eyes. Tears of resistance. As she reached the stage, Finnick had to use all of his powers to not reveal them. He wanted to keep her safe for as long as he could, even though it wouldn't be for much longer. As she stood in front of him, and a cocky seventeen year old boy was picked as the tribute boy, he couldn't get his eyes off of Annie, the love of his life, as she faced imminent death.

* * *

><p>With a bang, Finnick rose to the challenge.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: Day One

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Hunger Games _by Suzanne Collins.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Day One: Reaping Day<strong>_

* * *

><p>Annie's heart was beating faster than anything before. She was extremely scared of what she was going to face. Nothing had ever been such a threat to her. Her future, so clear earlier that day, suddenly seemed...blank. As if she honestly had no chance at living. But this was a punishment for Finnick. They lied to the Capitol, and they 'had' to pay.. The best way was for Finnick to watch her die while he desperately tried to save her.<p>

She sat in the room, with velvet curtains and a tiny window of light. This was where she was supposed to say goodbye to her family and friends. This was it. He knew that she would see Finnick on the train. He had already been moved there, and she had gotten a glimpse of his horrified expression. He was most likely blaming himself for it. It was as much her fault as it had been his. When he showed his fear for the Capitol, she hadn't really expected it to be this...eccentric.

Annie paced the room back and forth, and she swallowed, trying to figure out what to do. Then the door opened, and she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her legs.

Her three little sisters, Vinny, Jamie, and Aven, were wrapped around her. The youngest, at five, cried the most. She knew that Annie was leaving, but she didn't exactly understand why.

"Annie, please don't go!" she yelled, distressed. She was crying the most out of all four of them. How was she supposed to say goodbye to them? Three minutes was barely enough time to tell them all that she wanted to.

Annie felt a stinging in her eyes, and she kneeled down on the floor. She looked between all of them and gave them all a kiss on the forehead. Then, she wrapped her arms around her baby sisters. She was hoping that they would remember that moment, if that was all they had left.

"You guys, you have to keep studying. D-Don't take tessarae, because if anything happens to me, Finn will take care of you. B-But I'm gonna make it back, I promise," she explained, and she saw tears in Jamie's eyes. Quickly, she kissed all their heads again and sighed. Annie couldn't hold back her tears. She was already choking on them. It would be hard for them to understand why she was saying this, but one day they would.

As Annie pulled away, Vinny picked Aven into her arms and nodded, holdng back her own tears. In a year, her name would be in that bowl for the first time. Annie hoped that she would be able to help her get through it.

Then, Annie moved onto her parents.

Her mother was bawling at that point, and her father was crying as well. Annie had never seen them cry in front of her, and this was the first time that she saw them so hurt by that. It was hard for Annie.

Her own tears soon joined theirs.

She embraced them and began sobbing quietly into her mother's shoulder. Her father wrapped her arms around both his wife and his oldest child, kissing Annie's head. "You're gonna come back," her father told her and kissed her hair. Annie only kept crying.

Between her sobs, Annie managed to speak a few words. "I-I'm so scared," she said so softly, it was barely heard. Her mother took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. She felt that she had to be strong for her daughter.

"Finnick will protect you, Annie," her mother whispered. Her father immediately scoffed, surely blaming him for his daughter's imminent death. Annie would usually argue with him about it, but now wasn't the time or the place.

Her mother chose to ignore him. Instead, she opened Annie's palm and put her ring into it. Annie's palm closed, tightly. Her engagement ring. She couldn't believe her mom had gotten it. Trying to compose herself, Annie quickly kissed her parents, and her sisters, one last time, and with their screaming voices in the distance, she was once again alone in the dark room.

* * *

><p>Next, was her best friend. She came alone, with no one with her.<p>

At that point, Annie had sat down in the lone chair. She was staring at the metal table, swallowing. It was getting worse, in all honesty. The fear was getting worse. Every minute seemed like a million years.

She stopped for a moment, looked at Annie, before swallowing. "Let's fix your hair," Marlene whispered softly and went to stand behind Annie, beginning to knead her hands through her friend's dark hair. It was as if she was braiding the girl's hair for the last time. Like a funeral. "You're going to the Capitol, after all. You have to make an impression."

Annie swallowed and hung her head. Her friend hummed a sweet song, a familiar song, as she let loose Annie's ribbon and let her hair flow down. Marlene had been wearing her flower pin, and she unhooked it, putting it in Annie's hair. When she finished, after thirty seconds, she sighed.

"You're going to win, Annie," Marlene told her quietly and sighed. Annie was holding back her goodbyes. She was trying to ignore the fact that she had to say goodbye, to everyone.

"How do you know, Lenna? Finn can't protect me in the arena, he can only try," Annie told her the greatest fear. "Hell, I can make nets and carve, but I don't know anything about surviving. My father made sure of that." Annie sighed and shook her head.

Marlene tusked at her, and made Annie stand up, and she hugged her. Annie hugged back just as tight. "You have to be brave. Annie. You're a survivor, you always have been. You never give up, and never have. And you won't give up now."

Annie took in her words, and nodded. That was what she needed to hear. She needed that encouragement, because she was walking into her death in about three days.

Then, the three minutes were up. With a spur of courage, they said goodbye without tears.

"I'll see you in a few weeks," Marlene said, smiling.

Words of encouragement.

* * *

><p>"The leisure of the Capitol is something we enjoy displaying to the tributes. It's an honor to share our home with such selfless people as yourselves," Katerina said in the crowded car. Annie looked out the window as they passed through the market, watching the solemn faces of her fellow citizens. When they passed by her house, her mother's hand was raised in goodbye. Annie barely had any time to wave back.<p>

"And wh-what about the train? We never get to see the inside," the other boy, Cole, said as he looked towards the train station. It was only ever busy when it was shipment day, and the day of the Reaping.

"Oh, its a taste of home! It is honestly the only thing that gives me comfort when I come out to the Districts," she said, in a tone that Annie didn't like. How could she prefer the industrial, concentrated Capitol to the sandy beaches and sunny days of District Four? Annie considered herself lucky to live there, seeing how..barren other Districts seemed.

Cole's face also twisted into displeasure, and he looked back to the coast, preferring not to keep up the conversation with the careless Capitol drone.

When they got there, Annie got out of the car to some expectant Peacekeepers escorting her up the train station, and onto the train. They lead them there, both her and Cole, and pushed them into the train, closing the doors behind them and locking it from the outside.

There, in the little waiting room, sat Finnick Odair, wiping away something on his face with his hand, and tapping his foot quickly on the ground.

As soon as he heard the door close, he stood and quickly looked between the both of them. He had been crying. Annie swallowed.

Very quietly, he let out a very low 'Annie', before moving forward to go hug her. Thankfully, Mags held him back.

Katerina caught it, and looked slyly between the both of them. "You two know each other, don't you?" she asked Finnick. Finnick's jaw tightened, and he gently shrugged Mags's hand off. He pursed his lips and swallowed, not taking his eyes off of Annie.

"Yes, we do," Annie softly answered and moved forward, seeing as Cole had already gone to get some food. He was from the shipyard, like Finnick had been. He was probably hungry.

"Damn, this stuff is good," he said to himself and tore the bread apart, eating it slowly as he went to sit down. Annie shuffled over to the seat between Mags and Finnick and Finnick quickly followed, leaning closer to Annie. She could tell that he was dying to be alone with her, again.

Katerina looked at Annie, and then to Finnick as she went to sit in front of them. "And how did you two meet?"

Finnick swallowed, and said very softly. "She crept up on me."


	11. Chapter 11: Day Two

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _The Hunger Games, _Suzanne Collins does :)

* * *

><p>The night of the reaping, Finnick went into Annie's room, and held her there. There was nothing to be done, and as she tried to talk to him about it, he promised her that he would get her out. It was easier to keep the nightmares away with her there, with him. His promise was more of a desperate attempt to console her, and she didn't understand just how far he would go to protect her.<p>

"Annie, you are going to live to see the ocean again," he whispered in her ear and kissed her temple, as they held each other on her bed. He owed it to her, and her family. He wasn't going to have anyone lose people because of him.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 2: The Chariots<strong>

Annie woke up alone, after falling asleep in his arms. She sighed, closed her eyes, and watched the sun rise from the train window. She'd dreamed of her family; but it was more of a nightmare than anything. The Capitol had gotten them, as much as they had gotten her.

Annie would blame herself forever if anyone in her family had to go through this process again. She was so anxious. She didn't know whether the countdown to her death was within two weeks, or a lifetime. These were...she wanted to talk to Finnick.

Annie woke up and got dressed, running her hands through her hair as she stretched. Immediately, an Avox (what Finnick called them), appeared at her door and went to get Annie's clothes. Annie stared after her for a moment. He'd told her that it was a death sentence to talk to one of them. If you did, you would become them.

The Avox set Annie's clothes on the desk, and as Annie began to make the bed, the brunette Avox took it from her. Annie didn't understand, of course, but she let the girl do her job. She understood that this was the abusive sentence for whatever petty crime the girl committed.

Annie took her clothes into her hands and went to the bathroom. The night before, she hadn't noticed how lavish the room was through her tears. It included a canopy bed, dark mahogany woods for every piece of furniture, scarlett bedding, and a fresh bouquet of white roses on every desk. Annie didn't like the roses, much. Their scent was very strong.

Finnick hated them, too.

She put on the same dress as the day before, the same gray dress, and she put the pin in her hair. They reminded her of home, and that's what she needed the most. Home.

"Thank you," Annie told the Avox quietly as she stepped out of the bathroom and the latter didn't react, only continued to clean up the room.

With that, Annie opened the door it was deathly quiet. You could barely hear the train going at two hundred miles an hour. They would arrive at the Capitol that day, and Annie hadn't even explored the train yet. Katerina said to enjoy the luxury, and Annie was going to take that into consideration.

She moved down the long hallway of the cart and heard the sounds of cooks and strangers rambling about. Quickly, Annie tried to remember where the dining room was from the night before.

She found it and as she pressed the button for the door to open, she heard his voice. They were already awake? Cole sat at the table with Finnick, who was going over a list and talking to some strangers. Cole called Annie over to sit next to him, but Annie didn't care much for that. She had her eyes on the boy with the green eyes.

"They're making plans for the chariot tonight; Finn hasn't barely paid attention to me since I came through the door," the boy said as he handed Annie the mug of something warm, that smelled sweet. "Its hot chocolate; Finnick told me to give you some when you came in, Annie."

When Finnick heard her name, he looked up from the paper and looked at her, smiling very softly, before one of the stylists called for his attention again.

"What do you think they're going to dress us in?" she asked Cole and took a sip, savoring the silky taste of the 'hot chocolate'. If this was 'hot chocolate', she wondered what just 'chocolate' tasted like. She suddenly felt very...strange, after realizing that children in the Capitol probably ate that all the time. She wondered why they kept such things away from the Districts.

Katerina sat on the couch, muttering to herself and checking things off on her clipboard. Mags was asleep next to Finnick, snoring softly and not paying attention. Annie could understand, though. Mags had only come to help Finnick during the Games. She would need all the rest she could get.

"I think they were talking about something with the theme of the ocean; probably you in a dress, and me in shorts. Ever since Finnick went, that's what they've been doing. Not to say that it has worked in the last years," Cole whispered to Annie and she turned to glare at him.

"He's tried harder to save them than you know, Cole. Just like he's working hard to keep us safe," Annie scolded him and Cole rolled his eyes, mumbling something about how 'people don't come back'.

"Alright, children! I think it is time to consult the tributes about their costumes!" The girl with red-tainted skin said as stood up, moving excitedly over to Annie and Cole to tell them about the chariots. Finnick stood as well, and went to the empty seat next to Annie. He seemed uncomfortable about something.

"What do you have in mind?" Cole asked them and raised an eyebrow, putting his mug on the coffee table next to the couch, while Annie kept her mug in her hands. She hoped it wouldn't be like the District Twelve tributes from two years before. Stark naked, covered in coal dust. She didn't want to be paraded on television, nude.

Finnick looked at Cole, and then at Annie, before clearing his throat. "They chose the ocean as the theme; Annie, you're gonna wear a dress that moves like the waves. You, Cole, are going to wear shorts, a cape, and a crown to represent the tale of Poseidon. You're also going to carry a trident," Finnick told them and Annie nodded quickly. She wasn't going to argue against that. It was better, after all, than being naked.

"That's cool. Better than naked," Cole said what Annie thought, and she smiled to herself. He was going to get a lot of sponsors.

"Okay!" Said the red girl and she patted her skirt, looking at Finnick. "We're going to have to work on her hair later, you can talk about the training afterwards!"

"There's nothing wrong with her hair, Phyllis. Just...we need to start strategizing, now. We want them to be ready for the games," Finnick said very defensively. Then he looked to both the tributes.

"Your training is going to start tomorrow; and I want you to practice anything you can. You practice your nets, Annie. And try to get some traps and how to handle yourself with a knife. Cole, you're good with a trident, so try to get that at the Cornucopia. Join the Careers, if you have to. You're physically strong, so they'll want you. But...whatever you do...Stay together."

Then, they heard the cheering from outside the train. Annie Cresta had arrived at the Capitol.

* * *

><p>Annie looked at the ocean blue dress, which had a foamy substance at the bottom hem. It ended at her knees, but the tail slowly faded from the dark blue to a lighter color. When she moved, the lighting changed the color. It was as if the dress was moving, like the waves. Annie's face was accented with every shade of blue and green. Her eyes were outlined with a dark blue eyeliner, and she wore fake, green eyelashes. Her hair was lined with shells, and pulled back, but loose. The whole process hurt more than she thought. But when Annie looked at the mirror, she truly looked like she was a part of the ocean-as if she had risen from the sea.<p>

Annie was in awe.

As she stared at the mirror, she moved around, looking from her airbrushed, blue-green shoulders, to her blue shoes. She had stunned herself-and she was definitely going to stun the crowd.

"They'd been saving that dress up for someone special," Finnick said as he entered the room and looked at Annie, who was startled by his presence. "Its good that they didn't give you heels. You look more like yourself in those flats."

Annie smiled gently and swallowed. "I'm afraid to move, in case I damage it."

He laughed, and went next to her, looking in the mirror himself. He'd been dressed to the nines, and he was going to be waiting for her at the training center. His hair was gelled back and his suit was a navy blue made of a thick thread and a black tie.

"You look so..." he began, but sighed.

"So much like them. I know. I'd rather be wearing my 'rags'," she joked and nudged him with her shoulder. He smiled, and leaned over and kissed her cheek. Annie blushed, and scrunched her nose.

Annie loved him, so much. All of it, all of this was worth it. For two years, she had gotten to know the boy that all of Panem fell in love with. She had gotten to loving every single part of him, from his hair, to his smile, to his imperfections. Like, he had this habit of running his hand through his hair all the time. Or, when they argued. He was very strong-willed, and he didn't learn that even if she was wrong, she was right. But that didn't stop her from loving him. They had so many differences, so many hardships, but it made their love stronger.

And as she looked at Finnick, smiling at her even though he was hurting inside, she realized that...she wanted to spend whatever moments she had left, with him. Together, they were happy. That was something that the Capitol couldn't take away from them.

Finnick's calloused hand wrapped around her own, and she snapped out of her thoughts.

"We have to go to the chariots now, Annie. Trust me, you were meant to be in this dress tonight," he told her, before pulling her silently out of the room.

* * *

><p>Cole sat by the horses, petting one's snout as he fed it sugar. His usually neat, blonde hair was untidy, as if he'd just come back from a swim. He looked exactly as Finn described he would. Toned, in shorts, and playing the part of Poseidon.<p>

They looked the best out of the tributes.

Phyllis, Annie's stylist, was with Cole and they were talking about the chariot. Annie and Finnick neared the chariot, and Finn took some sugar cubes out of his coat pocket.

He put one in his palm and gave it to the second horse, before eating one himself. Annie smiled at how much of a sweet-tooth Finnick was. Every time she made honey, she had to make a jar only for him.

"Alright, Annie, you're going to hold Cole's hand, okay? You represent the unity of the traditions of District Four, okay?" Phyllis explained to Annie, who nodded but was too concentrated on the other tributes. Two twelve year olds from District Eleven, a brunette boy, eighteen, from District 2. The beauty, from District 5, and the starving kids from District 12.

From above came the sound of a gong, and a two minute countdown. Phyllis's assistant quickly squeaked and ushered us into the chariot, getting us ready and telling us where to hold on.

Finnick went to the side, and said some words of encouragement that Annie didn't really hear. Her heart was basically pounding in her ears, and she was finding it hard to breathe. All she heard was, "Good Luck!" and then, the gates opened.

It went in order: District 1, 2, 3...and then the chariot started moving and the crowd cheered.

Annie was almost afraid to look back, but she felt the dress moving, and as the wind ran through it, the crowd cheered for it. Annie looked at the giant screen and saw her dress, like waves crashing on the shore, and she suddenly felt...confident. They were cheering for her and Cole. They had a chance. They could...do this.

Annie raised the hand that wasn't holding Cole's and she smiled, waving at the citizens of the Capitol, laughing and watching them as they hollered and wooed for her dress, for her confidence, for Cole's handsome features. They were cheering them both on, because District 4 was ahead of the game. District 4 knew how to impress.

Then, the chariot came to a sudden stop and, breathlessly, Annie looked up at the President as he began to stand up, and the chariots afterwards rolled in.

"Welcome, all, to the 70th Annual Hunger Games! To our tributes, welcome, and thank you for your sacrifice. You bring honor to your Districts." When he said that, the President's eyes bore down on the District 4 chariot, and directly at Annie. Suddenly, Annie's confidence completely left her, and she felt weak in the stomach. It was a look of pure hatred, and Annie didn't understand.

"Let the Games, commence!" And with that, he sat back down, and the chariots turned again down the Avenue of the Tributes, and back to the Training Center.

From the crowd, a young, future stylist stood out. He watched intently as Annie went back to the training center. He observed her dress, every aspect of it, and then watched as the District 12 tributes rolled in glumly in their coal mining costumes. Immediately, he began to imagine a costume that would save the lives of two _very_ important people .

* * *

><p>That night, when Annie rolled into bed after scrubbing all the make-up and grime off of her body, she could barely sleep. Even after Finnick came in later that night, she couldn't close her eyes. Whenever she did, she saw the eyes of a venomous being biting into her own.<p>

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><p><strong>AN:** Thank you all,_ so_ much for even considering reading my story. It really means a lot to me to be getting all these positive reviews. To all you readers out there, the fact that you even take time out of your day to even click on my story makes writing it completely worth it. So, thanks. Really, truly, thank you. Have a nice day :)


	12. Chapter 12: Training Days

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Hunger Games, only my story and a few OCs. Enjoy the Chapter :D

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><p><strong>Day 3-5:<strong> Training Days

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><p>Annie woke up that morning with a big smile on her face. The chariots had been a success, and as far as Annie knew, so was everything else. But still, Finnick wouldn't relax and he wouldn't leave Cole and her alone outside of their apartment. Maybe, it was Cole that wouldn't leave them alone.<p>

That night, on the chariot, she felt a bit of hope. Hope that ,maybe, they would come out alive from this. That maybe, her little dream was still alive. But then she saw the eyes of the President.

As she got dressed, she heard a knock on the door. Her training outfit had been set up on the writing desk, way before she even opened her eyes. So, she put it on, along with some running shoes, and went to open the door.

There stood Finnick, looking tired and groggy, with bags under his eyes. He seemed so tired as of late, looking as if he never got a wink of sleep, even though Annie was absolutely sure he did. He did have nightmares, though, and that was something that had the possibility of keeping him up at night.

"We have to get to the training center," he told her, and gave her a small smile. He took her hand, and dragged her out the door to Cole's room to wake him up by force. She already knew, by Finn's actions, that it would be a long day.

* * *

><p>President Snow sat in his office, watching the live broadcasts of the streets in the Capitol. He heard them, talking about the previous night's events. He wasn't amused at the prospect that the citizens were fascinated with the petty District 4 girl. The stylists had a way with the make-up, yes, but under all the recreation, she was just an ordinary, unspecial, district citizen.<p>

"We were thinking, Mr. President...that maybe, we could let the Games play themselves out this year...we...haven't done that in a long time," Phobeus, the Head Gamemaker, mentioned to the President. The man, who looked ridiculous with half of his hair dyed red and the other dyed black, didn't amuse the President. To the President, he was a fool. To the citizens, he was a style icon.

The request did not amuse President Snow.

"And what of the Districts who need to learn their lessons?" Asked Snow, thinking of the young couple he was trying to obliterate.

Phobeus looked interested, but had an answer to the question.

"We can send in a mutt of your choosing if it comes down to that, Mr. President. If not, you very well know where this year's games will be set. There will barely be no...animals around, so to say. Its either the Cornucopia, or die," he answered, and the President scoffed.

"And what about making it exciting, Phobeus?" I made you head gamemaker for a reason; you're supposed to be brutal and unrelenting! Do you really want to reveal to the world your son's parentage?" Snow stood, as he threatened the man. Did the man really expect the President to have him as gamemaker, without exploring his background information? It was enough that violating an Avox was supposed to be dishonorable and illegal, but imagine impregnating one?

Phobeus's eyes widened in shock. How could the President know about that? And how could such a respected man stoop so low, as to threaten an innocent child. The boy was five years old, and his wife had no problem with adopting the child as her own. He was completely innocent in his father's actions.

"Do you think that I don't keep tabs on the people I hire, Phobeus? Do you think that i"m an idiot? That I would risk my position as the rightful leader of this country for the likes of you?" President Snow snarled at the man, but then realized that...well, he had to calm down. He wasn't going to let the petty man affect him. In the end, he would fall to his instructions or risk his family's lives.

So, he calmed down, flattened down his jacket, cleared his throat, and sat down in his chair once more.

Phobeus swallowed.

"What would you like us to do to get the games to be more...exciting, as you very well put it?" he asked in a very fearful voice, taking out his holopad to type in what the President wished to see.

"Earthquakes. I want a lot of earthquakes, major earthquakes. Destroy some of the areas, watch them fall to their deaths."

How would a girl of the sea survive the wrath of the Earth?

* * *

><p>"Annie, are you alright?" asked Cole as he sat down next to her, watching her attempt to camouflage her forearm. She was trying to blend her arm in with the cement, and she was doing a pretty good job of it. It wasn't the best, but it was pretty good.<p>

Her expression was pretty stressed out. Her dark eyebrows were scrunched together in frustration, as she blended in the ash into her arm. Her eyes were deep in concentration, but they were elsewhere. Every now and then, they flashed over to the hunting area, where the netting and ropes were. Those were her talents, and the Careers had taken them over.

"When are the Careers gonna leave the netting area alone, dam int? There's too many people there for me to make one. They're not even that good at it, either," Annie grumbled angrily, pursing her lips. She took a pinch of sand and poured it over her forearm once more.

Colin rolled his eyes.

"Just go over there, Annie. Teach them how it goes; they're not the absolute best at everything," Cole reminded her. Now Annie rolled her eyes. That was easy for him to say. They liked Cole, because he actually had a talent for survival. he knew how to fight with a trident, and a spear. He was also great at cooking food, and had knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants. He was a very valuable ally, and the Careers wanted him. So, he had stuck with them for a lot of the day.

As he encouraged Annie, the District 1 girl, Amber, raised a pale hand and waved it towards Cole, smiling widely. Cole waved back, and gave her the same smile.

Annie gave him an estranged look, and shook her head. Cole shrugged.

"Just following Finn's orders," he explained in the best way. "They already offered me an alliance, but I told them that it was either the both of us or neither of us. They want to see what you can do, Annie. If we want to live to be in the last eight, we need them. As brutal, and vicious as they may seem to be."

Annie put her supplies down, and sighed. Why was he being so pushy? He had a point, yes, but Annie didn't like them.

"They don't seem dangerous, Cole. They are dangerous," Annie clarified to him. "Cole, this might be easy for you, but I've seen these people's brothers and sisters kill people I know. I want nothing to do with them."

"Annie...they killed my best friend. And as much as it hurts to even talk to them, these are the Hunger Games. I want to live as long as I can, even if it means talking to people who would murder me without thinking twice," he said very softly, and looked into Annie's eyes. She frowned and stood, going to wash off the camouflage.

"You're right. I should try to go make some...allies," she chose the word carefully. They definitely weren't her friends, or her companions. It didn't matter if they did become that, anyway. In a week, all but one would be dead.

* * *

><p>Finnick sat in the betting room with the Capitol citizens. They were already secretly bidding, and he was getting as many sponsors as he could for Annie and Cole. He put on his best suit, gelled his hair, and went there as soon as he could. With a glass of water in one hand, he talked to as many people as he could.<p>

"Finnick, I absolutely loved the outfits your stylists chose for this year's parade of tributes," Rosalinde told the boy and Finnick smiled. There. He got one sponsor for his beloved. "Truly, I was in for District Four from the moment I saw the boy and the girl-they looked wonderful together, they complemented each other very well."

"Thank you, Rosalinde. We did our best to entertain the Capitol citizens," he said in his charming way and Mags nodded, sipping at her coffee and looking almost as tired as Finnick. She, as well, had been helping him with the planning. Sometimes, it seemed like she had more energy in this than he did, though. At the end of the day, all Finnick could do was sleep, whereas Mags had to push him to stay up and plan some more.

Rosalinde went on and on and Finnick pretended to listen, considering that his mind was with the girl with crystal blue eyes.

It was late, though. So far, he'd gotten them 14 sponsors. That was enough for a day, right? And he still had many to go. There were people almost lining up to sign the contracts with him, to offer money and valuables to the tributes while in the Games. It was all about appearance, and they had set the best example that they could with Annie and Cole.

But he'd seen the deathly glance Snow had given Annie on the chariot. You could feel it, even from the television in the training center. He was out to kill, and Finnick knew it. Mags had held his hand throughout the whole chariot ride. They were both nervous, and even though Annie did very well in charming the population, the President was intent on killing her for revenge.

Revenge against the fact that Finnick dared to fall in love.

Finnick harbored so much hate for the man. He could control the country, yes, but he could not control his life. He was a victor, he had dealt with the ultimate punishment by the Capitol, and he was going to survive this. And so would Annie.

Even if it meant that he would die for her.

* * *

><p>"What happened to your hands, Annie?" he asked in a whisper when he saw how tough her hands seemed. They were red, and they seemed sore. Even her expression seemed painful, completely unexpected. He felt bad for how hard she was training. Considering it was his fault. If she hadn't been reaped, she would never have to face the fears she was going to soon.<p>

He took her hands into his own and ran his fingers over them. When she flinched, he knew there was actual pain there. Her already calloused hands would soon have more. He felt bad, and he wanted her to get out of here, and never look back. If it was possible to volunteer his life for hers, he would. Sadly, he couldn't.

Annie saw the look in his eyes, and pulled her hand back. She smiled at him and rubbed her palms together.

"I'm okay, Finn; I've just been teaching the Careers how to do some knots," she smiled at him and grinned. He raised an eyebrow.

"Hopefully not your best ones."

"I'm saving those for myself," she grinned and he smirked, before taking her hands again and kissing them. She blushed even more.

This was the fourth night they spent together, but the first they had stayed awake to talk. The room was dimly lit, so they could see one another, enough, without giving themselves away. They sat on the bed, cross legged, spending what little time they could together.

"Annie, when you're in there..." he began, but she stopped him with a quick shake of her head. She didn't want to talk about the Arena, not then. This was the time she had to spend with him, and she didn't want to spend it talking about her fate. If she was going to live, she was going to live in the 'then'.

"You can tell me this when you're training us," she explained, and he grimaced. But that was the point. Cole and her were truly becoming partners, something that Finnick actually feared. If it came down to the both of them, he knew which one wouldn't hesitate to kill. And it definitely wasn't Annie.

He had to talk to her; and this was about the only time that they had to talk without anyone watching . He had to tell her how much he needed her to live, that if she had to do something that would ensure that she would live, she had to do it. It was out of his selfish need to have someone he loved, and he knew it. As horrible as he felt, he couldn't lose Annie.

"Just...relax for a bit, Finnick. . You're with me right now, you're not planning. Just imagine we're back home, by our secret spot," she told him and then she kissed him. He smiled, and raised his hand to her neck, keeping the kiss slow and steady.

Telling her could wait a little bit.

* * *

><p>"Dad, who is at the Capitol this year?" asked a young girl at the age of eleven, with two dark braids in her hair and light grey eyes. She had just turned eleven, and unknowing of what was to come to her in the near future.<p>

"Mayweather Clear and Johnathan Cook," he told her and held her hand as he lead her through the woods. He was beginning to teach her how to fend for herself, and how to hunt just as he had learned as a child. He had a stern look on his face, and he seemed so serious. It was very unlike him, Katniss Everdeen thought.

"Do you think that they'll win?" she asked hopefully and watched carefully what she stepped on, so that she wouldn't scare away the game. It was something her dad had recently taught her.

He stopped in his tracks, looked at his daughter, and put his bow down. In a year, she would be up for the reaping. One more year, and she would have to put her name in that bowl. He had to talk to her about how...the odds weren't in a lot of people's favors.

"Katniss, I think we should talk," he explained and sat down on a log, with her sitting next to him. She put down her own bow and listened.

"The Hunger Games, are all staged. The winner is always chosen before the Games begin, based on their appearance, appeal, and will to fight. That's why the Careers, District 1, 2, and 4, win most of the time. They know how to portray themselves in front of a crowd, and how to fend for themselves and fight for their lives.

"We, in District 12, don't have that luck. We are the scraps, the people that people barely pay attention to because no one cares. We don't have the appeal, the attractiveness, or the will. We are the District that doesn't matter in the Capitol, and with our starving children, our chances of survival are even lower than usual. So...based on that, Katniss, who do you think is gonna win this year?" he asked his daughter, who frowned at his words. She didn't like the Games as much as anyone else, but...that was horrible.

"District 4," she said very quietly and he nodded.

"Finnick Odair is working hard to keep his tributes alive. We don't know why, but his efforts are way more than before. The tributes looked great, and he probably has plenty of sponsors for them. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to the top five," he told her. Katniss frowned even more. She didn't like Finnick Odair, because he seemed too pleased to be in the Capitol, and the people raved about him. He seemed stuck up, and annoying. If she ever met him (which she hoped she didn't), she would punch him right in the face.

"We'll see, right, Dad? Maybe May and John can pull out of this alive," she nudged him and gave him a small smile.

She had hope. And that was all he could teach her to have through the next six years of her life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: This chapter took me a long time to write, because I wanted to capture these days through a lot of eyes. From the civilian, the victim, and the leader. I tried, though. It was a challenge actually. For me, atleast, I never wrote something like this. Oh well, critiques are welcome as well as reviews! Sorry for the late chapter, the next one will be up on Friday :D


	13. Chapter 13: Interview

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _The Hunger Games _by Suzanne Collins. I only own my original characters :D.

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>: Interview

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><p>For the sessions with the trainers, Annie wasn't ready. Cole was, though, he had this whole thing with a spear ready. He said he could spear through eight dummies, which Annie obviously doubted. But, unlike Annie, he was actually ready. She would go in, see the supplies that she had, and then she would use them.<p>

She had realized that she was best at noting the differences between good plants and poisonous plants, camouflage, and knots. She had learned how to make a couple of new knots. She learned how to make a great hunting trap, a noose, and a couple of booby traps that were basically invisible in the arena, and had the ability of catching almost anyone. And according to her instructor, she was the best at it.

Needless to say, during her session, she did okay. She got an eight, which was actually a pretty high score. Finnick and Mags were more than pleased. And Cole? Well, he exceeded the expectations and got a ten-something that was usually reserved for Careers. He was sure to be included in the alliance.

And therefore, Annie would be included in the alliance as well.

* * *

><p>Finnick could barely sleep the night before the interviews. His eyes just wouldn't close , and he could only think about the moment when Annie would walk onto that stage and talk with Ceasar Flickerman. the man of the country. What had been hard for him, would probably be hard for Annie, maybe even harder. She was painfully, painfully shy. The Chariots were different, she didn't have to talk to anyone. Now, she would have to charm, and make a lasting effect on strangers in less than three minutes.<p>

Needless to say, Finnick and Mags had their work cut out for them.

He had already stayed up into the late hours of the night, coming up with prepping questions, going over the plans with the stylists, and setting up their schedule for the day. The questions he created were normal ones, most that had been heard before during the interviews and were most likely to appear. They would help prepare both Annie and Cole.

Finnick was training Annie, while Mags trained Cole. She understood that Finnick wouldn't be able to concentrate on both tributes this year, when Annie was there. And she also understood that as guilty as Finnick felt, he didn't care for the boy. He was blinded by the rage and the need to see Annie survive and prove to them that they couldn't control everything. he wanted Cole to have a chance, but he mostly wanted Annie to make it to the end.

He pulled his blanket over his head, but his eyes just wouldn't close. The window, which he had set to be a beach from District 4, soothed him only in the slightest bit. Annie needed all the sleep she could get, and so he left her to sleep. It was almost as if he had forgotten how it was to be alone in the Capitol, which almost never happened. He was scared that something out there, could get him before she could finish helping her. That was the nightmare he feared.

Finnick took deep breaths and decided to close his eyes. When he did, all he saw was little stars, something that he used to think about when he was younger. With the swooshing sound of the waves crashing against the shore, Finnick felt as if he was at his home at the Victor's village.

If he tried hard enough, he imagined his mother and father rummaging around the house, her cleaning and him patching up things that he thought needed patching. Annie running to the door to wake him up during a holiday, and the smell of his mother's cooking. If he tried even harder, he could hear Marianna's laughter, after telling their parents a joke that she'd heard in school.

When he closed his eyes, he saw his stars. He took one final deep breath, and finally felt at ease. With the thought of his family on his mind, he could finally get some needed rest.

* * *

><p>Annie waited patiently for Finnick in her room, her hands tightly together. She wore a pale blue blouse and capris, and she was nervous. Tonight was the noght of the interviews, and everyone knew and observed just how difficult that would be. Annie, especially, was especially nervous about the questions she would get.<p>

'How do you know Finnick Odair?'

'How do you feel about getting to know Finnick through this experience?'

'What is your dress made out of?'

'What are you planning to do to survive the Games?'

Ceasar would ask her that, or at least she guessed that he would ask her that. She was nervous about answering all of them, let alone talk to now of the most famous faces in Panem.

All she knew, was that Finnick was going to train her especially for that during their private training session.

But even though Finnick was so sure on making her the victor, she wasn't so sure that she would be. So, she wrote letters home. One for each family member, and another one for Posy for when she was older. She probably wouldn't even remember Annie when she got older, but she hoped she did.

She knew she had to choose her words carefully though, considering that there could be a possibility of hr Capitol intercepting the letters and having them never reach home. She would ask Mags to deliver them for her, knowing that Finnick would refuse to promise that, because 'she could give the letters to her family herself when they were back in District Four.' He was so caught up in the planning of things, that he could barely see the reality: there was not a very high chance of Annie making it out.

Annie had come to terms with that outcome, as hard as it was. She had to get Finnick ready for the destruction, if that were to happen.

There was a knock on the door, and Finnick entered, holding a holopad in one hand, and a tray with breakfast for both of them in the other. Annie quickly put her letters away in the little drawer on the desk. He saw it, put the food on the desk, and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll ask later," Finnick said in a questioning tone. "For now, eat up before we start the mock interviews."

Annie groaned at the thought, and he smiled. Of course, it would sound boring. It was.

* * *

><p>"Mags, I don't know if I can do this," Cole told his mentor, who rolled her eyes at him and smacked him behind the head. They were doing an exercise, apparently, on trust. She wanted Cole to fall back on Mags, a frail eighty year old woman who everyone cared for.<p>

What if he broke her? That would be the end of Collin Williams, I tell you. The end. If he survived the games, the Districts would never forgive him.

"Don't be a wimp, Cole, I do this with _all _ of my tributes. Why do you have to be the first one to not trust me? Come on, I'm your mentor!" she told him and put her cane against the wall, and prepared herself as if to catch him. Cole was still very unsure, and he scratched the back of his head. He didn't understand.

Mags was getting frustrated.

"If you don't do this, I'm just going to go back to sleep, and you're on your own for the interviews," she warned him, her motioning for him to fall back, that she was ready. Cole sighed, turned around, and swallowed. This was no good. No good at all. In fact, it was insane.

"Just-promise not to die," he told her and with another deep breath, went numb and fell backwards, trusting Mags to catch him.

Instead, the back of his head caught the corner of a table. Ouch.

"What was that, Mags?" he said very loudly and rubbed the back of his head. There would surely be a bump there soon, and all he could do was glare at the old lady. She grabbed her cane and stood over him, a sudden frown on her face.

"In the Games, you don't trust anyone. As well as you think you might know them, as much as you might trust them, you don't trust anyone. Sometimes, you can't even trust yourself. If you decide to give yourself completely to a measly alliance, you might find that you'll be dead before you can say 'she was right'," Mags told him very seriously. Her lips were pursed, and her eyes glazed. It was as if she spoke from experience.

Cole forgot about his pain for a mere moment, and nodded. As crazy as Mags seemed, she had been one of the first to survive this.

"But you have to promise me one thing," Mags whispered. He furrowed his eyebrows, confused, but nodded. "Protect Annie, for as long as you can. Even if you can't protect her at one point, try it. For Finnick, and for me."

Cole looked up at her, confused. "Why are you asking me that? Shouldn't Finnick? Isn't he her trai...ner..." and then Cole realized it. Finnick _wasn't_ just Annie's trainer. He was much more than that. There had been rumors, of course,a round the school that Annie Cresta was engaged, that she was in a secret relationship. But at school, there were plenty of rumors about other girls doing that as well.

"Finnick and Annie were going to get married, weren't they?" Cole asked quietly, frowning. Of course. That's why they spent so much time together, why he was so dedicated to saving her, and how he sent her these looks of affection and caring. How he always made sure she ate something, and how he trained her so hard. He wanted her to survive.

Mags nodded.

Cole looked down, and nodded. "Of course, I'll protect Annie. Districts have to stick together. No matter what, we're all eachother has in there," Cole stated and Mags nodded, before helping him up.

"No, lets get to some practicing!" Mags said, taking out some notecards Finnick had written out for her, and beginning to ask him the questions.

* * *

><p>The tune of the theme song. The roar of the crowd. Ceasar Flickerman's laugh, his introduction to the show and the Games, his list of names...everyone knew the routine, and no one knew it better than Ceasar Flickerman himself. He did this every year, after all, and at the ripe age of forty-eight, he knew the script as if he had been born with it.<p>

"Alright, citizens of Panem! Are you ready to hear what this year's tributes have to say to convince you that they're truly this year's future victor!" He said to the crowd excitedly, and waited for them to cheer, which they usually did. He laughed his trademark laugh and then called in the first tribute.

"Well lets begin! Glaze, our female District One tribute!"

It went on the same way. The fake laughs, the showing off. He often had to encourage them to talk, and that greatly annoyed him. As much as he loved doing this, the boring ones always, well...bored him.

As the District 3 boy tribute waved out at the crowd with an awkward expression, and then Ceasar looked at the girl that stood behind the stage. A blue eyed girl, with dark brown hair, and a teal cocktail dress. It was one shoulder, and by far, she would capture the attention of the men in the crowd.

"And now, the talk of the crowd, Annie Cresta from District Four!" he said into the microphone and stood for her, clapping as she took in some breath, and walked out, smiling and waving and trying not to look like she was scared out of her wits. As she looked into the crowd, her heart seemed to quicken. So did her perspiration.

Annie sat down on the couch opposite to Ceasar and smiled at him. "Hello, Ceasar," she said very politely and behind her, she could hear the timer begin to tick. Three minutes to impress all of the Capitol. Annie could almost feel the pressure on her shoulder.

"So, Annie. You, being from District Four, and being the same age as your mentor, how do you think you two found a connection as trainer and tribute?"

_We were supposed to get married. _

"Wel, Ceasar, like you said. We're the same age. The fact that he won the Games so impressively gives me a lot of trust in him. He's really concentrated as well," she answered confidently and the crowd talked among themselves. Ceasar smiled at her.

"But of course. A little jabberjay told me, though, that you two knew each other before the Games. Is that true?" Ceasar asked and Annie nodded.

"It wasn't that hard. I mean, his family used to buy from my family's store before he ever competed in the Games, and we went to school together. He's a great guy, for any girl who's interested in him," she winked at the crowd and they laughed, with a few girls cheering her on. If only they knew.

Ceasar laughed and patted Annie's back. "Well, that's good to know, isn't it ladies?" he joked and Annie smiled. Then, he calmed down the crowd and got serious once more. There was silence.

"Now, Annie, you seem like a sweet girl. And if there's one thing we know about District Four, is that they have a lot of family oriented values. If you could say something to someone at home right now, what would you say?"

Annie, and Finnick, hadn't expected that question. She bit her lip, and thought for a moment. What would she say.

"I'd say to every member of my family, to keep going on. That if I don't come back, that life is still gonna go on, and that I want them to live it, " she said very quietly, but everyone could still hear her answer.

Just as Ceasar was going to ask what she meant by that, the ticker ran out and the crowd stood and clapped for Annie. She smiled once more, curtsied, and then gave Cole the thumbs up before going behind the stage to Finnick and Mags awaiting him.

Cole,of course, charmed the crowd and amazed the people. The loved him, because even though he was no Finnick Odair, he was just as good. And the girls squealed, and threw flowers and roses at him. He won their hearts over.

That night, they had dinner like usual, and told jokes and tried to soothe the tension. It still couldn't calm Annie down, though, and Finnick noticed it. He excused Annie and himself from the table. That night, Annie and Finnick slept in each other's arms, trying not to think of the fears that they would face the next day, and the reality of what was to come.

"Finnick, I love you," she said very softly, on the brink of sleep, trying to stay calm at the thought of having to go to the arena tomorrow. Finnick looked down, his clear green eyes meeting her blue ones, and he kissed her. And she kissed him back.

They smiled, nervously at each other.

To Annie, it seemed like their last night together. For Finnick, it felt like their first.

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><p>AN: This was a tricky chapter to write _ I hope you guys enjoyed it! And, taking the time out of your day to read it ! I really appreciate it! And thank you (again) for your reviews! They make this story worth writing, and keeps me going! See ya on the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14: The Arena

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _The Hunger Games _by Suzanne Collins. I only own my original characters :D.

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>: The Arena

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><p>Annie barely slept the night before the beginning of the 74th Hunger Games. She had been told before that it was necessary for her, and it was a perk if you could sleep. In reality, she had no idea if she would be alive at this time, the next day. In fact, she had no idea if she would even make it to the top five tributes in the arena. In that moment, all Annie could do was stay in Finnick's arms and feel the warmth that radiates off of him. She watched him as she laid her head on his shoulder, his chest slowly rising and falling with every breath he took.<p>

He seemed at peace when he slept. That was something Annie had never truly experienced with him. While he said that he was fine, and calm, he always lived with contrition. Annie knew that he would never forgive himself, but she would always forgive him, even though it wouldn't be enough for him to forget. When he slept, his features, usually contorted in those emotions, were smooth and calm. It was the way Annie liked him best.

"Finnick, wake up," she asked of him nervously. It seemed like it was the first day since forever that he had slept, and she felt horrible for needing to see him awake. But his eyes easily opened, as if he had never really been asleep in the first place. His anxiety was evident.

"Annie?" he asked softly in a moment of peace. Then, the worried look returned, and Annie felt even more guilty than before. It was always going to be his eternal suffering. He shifted his head to look at her with a very tired expression.

He was just as worried about the Games as her. He had been in them long before her, but she didn't know the great lengths he would go to protect her from what he experienced. If she died, Finnick would simply give up. Like Marianna before him, he would be a shell of he had once been. Finnick would never be able to do the things he enjoyed, because he only enjoyed doing them with _her _because she loved them. That was, truly, the main reason he ever enjoyed anything.

"Finn, I can't sleep."

"I couldn't either. The night before the Games, I mean. I doubt I'll have another peaceful night again. But...its better than it used to be. A lot better," he said meekly and turned over so that he could face her, while she was in his arms. He put his lips gingerly on her forehead, before hiding his face in her hair. Her breathing was fast, and her heart was pounding a lot more than before.

Annie smiled. Her lips quivered, and she dared not move. Annie's heart broke at his words. She could only wonder who would comfort him if the worst happened. Mags and his family would, but who else? Her family would never forgive him, no matter how hard he tried to be forgiven, no matter how much Annie wanted them to forgive him. She was mostly worried about him, though. Would he take up drinking, like he had before? Would he go down a spiral like the other mentor, Haymitch, had? Or would he...No. He wouldn't. He was stronger than that.

"Don't do anything stupid," she said in a cracked voice, threatening him. Finnick cracked a smile through his solemn mood. "I love you, Annie Odair," he said very softly and Annie couldn't help but smile. If they were watching, he didn't care. He was done with what the Capitol did anymore, as long as it was directed at him and no one else in his life.

Finnick closed his eyes, and suddenly became lost in his thoughts.

He sometimes found himself in familiar places. The arena at first, then the faces of his lost tributes. But since he met Annie, he had found the ocean.

The waves were the color of Annie's eyes, and he would float on them as they flooded everything around him. The faces, the arena. The just got rid of all the things. He would float on the waves, wondering when the current would take him to the shore, or wash him away from the top. In his mind he was an outcast, and while everyone stood on the shore and watched him fail, he floated endlessly through the waters that moved fiercely with a storm. On the other side stood his dreams. While he floated, he would hope for them. He wanted to see them come true. But, what kept those dreams and hopes afloat was the sea.

If the sea dried up, what would become of Finnick? He would be stuck in a desert, where the faces would attack him and the sand would engulf him in the heat. Only the birds of prey, the vultures, were safe from the desert sand. How would he survive from the different type of storm then?

That was the thing. He wouldn't.

In the end, he was always going to be a victim of the birds of prey.

"Just don't let the vultures get you, Annie. You're going to be okay if you don't let them get you," he whispered groggily. Annie didn't even understand what he was saying, but she figured that he was tired. And suddenly, feeling much safer in his arms, she grew tired.

Annie nodded at his words, figuring that she would understand what he meant when she was in the arena, and kissed him on the chin. "Lets get back to sleep," Annie said and yawned, moving as close as she could to him.

Finally, Annie went to sleep.

It was Finnick who stayed up throughout the night.

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><p>"Cole; Annie. Don't worry about the bloodbath. The fact that the Careers chose you to be on the teams is enough to get you through that. What you need to worry about, is what comes after. As long as you don't make a threat then, you're okay. Just...stay on your watch. These kids are animals, and they will make no hesitation in killing you," Finnick warned them, but mostly looked at Annie. He lead them to the elevator that would take them to the roof. Finnick shamelessly held Annie's hand, and Mags held Cole's.<p>

"Annie, you don't worry your pretty little head. Just, stay calm and let Cole handle it in the beginning. You just make nets, and assure them that you're willing to do everything you can for the alliance," Mags said to Annie and she smiled at the old, wise woman. Cole smirked.

"Don't worry, Annie," he said gently and sent her an encouraging smile. Annie needed that.

They were dressed in cargo pants, and a navy blue v-neck. On the sleeve, an aquamarine number four stood out from the rest of the outfit. She didn't doubt that there would be more that came afterwards. It was simple, but efficient. But Annie wasn't focusing on that.

It was one hour until the beginning.

"Annie, you run to the edge of the forest until its over. Hide somewhere you can see Cole," Annie was overwhelmed with so much last minute advice. Her head was pounding, her stomach was doing flips, and she could barely breathe. It was as if there was a ton of grain-no, rocks,- on top of her chest. It wasn't the best feeling, considering that the greatest task of her life.

She felt sweaty. She felt like she was drenched in water, when she was actually a very dry person. She was shaky, and she felt like she could hold Finnick's hand forever. Holding it, like that, was enough. She felt as if she was walking into her own funeral, except everyone was cheering and happy as she faced her death.

That wasn't something anyone would want at their funeral, was it?

Cole, overall, looked like he was about to throw up. And he would have if his mouth wasn't clenched as tight as it was, and he wasn't so terrified. His bro was pursed together in determination, and he would show any tribute that dared to go against him that he could, and would, win any fight. He understood that he had to protect Annie. But if at one point Annie and him were in the last few standing, they would separate. He would not win, and be the cause that the District hated him. That Finnick hated him. That Mags wouldn't look at him. He would protect her for as long as he could.

That was all he could promise.

As they reached the roof, they were separated. Finnick and Annie went to one hovercraft, while Mags and Cole went to the other. Finn had especially bribed the gamemakers so that they would allow this. He was going to be with Annie, until the end.

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><p>The windows on the hovercraft were shut. There was no outside light, only the dull brightness of a couple of lanterns. The Capitol couldn't risk the possibility of it's tributes seeing the Arena they would participate in. Annie could guess that it was pretty far away, since they had gotten there a lot earlier than most of the Arenas before. The tributes were being watched by a special set of peacekeepers, who were more threatening and held onto their gun holsters the whole time. She didn't doubt that they wouldn't hesitate in shooting anyone who ruined the Games.<p>

Annie preferred not to look at the other tributes, knowing that they would most likely have to face each other in the arena at one point. She kept her vision concentrated, either ahead of her or in Finnick's direction. It was when she heard a tiny whimper from a District 6 girl on her right that she noticed that there was a Capitol woman walking around injecting them with some foreign device.

"Extend your arm, please," the woman said in a thick accent to Annie, who furrowed her eyebrows. Annie was logical. And because of that, she would have preferred to not give the woman her arm. But the look in the peacekeeper's eyes told her to go against her instincts, and to do otherwise.

The woman's painted white lips pursed together, and Annie gave her her forearm. She squeezed her eyes shut and the woman put a tube to her arm, with a long, thick needle in the center. It proceeded to stab Annie and she bit her lip, waiting for the woman to leave. Then, she looked at her forearm.

In it was a very dull green light, that flickered on and off. Finnick had talked about it before, and he had a scar to show whenever he told her about it. It was her tracker device, the final thing that would make her feel like an animal.

"You're the girl from District 4, right? We talked in the training room," the District 2 boy asked her, a smirk plastered on his face. Annie avoided his gaze but nodded, deciding to answer his question.

"Congrats. On being with us, I mean. You just make nets and stay out of our way," He warned her. Annie pursed her lips. "You're a pretty girl, Annie Cresta. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

His eyes seemed to flash with some sort of threat...some vengeance. As if there was something that he had planned for Cole and herself.

"Hey! No talking!" The woman yelled again. The boy immediately wiped the smirk off of his face, and stared straight ahead at the tribute in front of him, just as Annie was doing. For the rest of the flight, the peacekeepers kept their glares on us.

Annie took a moment to look at Finnick, and noticed that he was glaring at the boy. There was no way that Finnick Odair would let the boy get his way.

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><p>Annie and Finnick walked together in the catacombs of the Arena. Shamelessly, they walked hand-in-hand, led by a group of peacekeepers who found it very suspicious that they were that close. Every now and then, they received a confused look from their guards, questioning why the couple held hands. At that point, they could put two and two together to know that Finnick and Annie were together.<p>

They reached a large gray door, with a giant four labeling it. Annie took a deep breath as Finnick opened the door and let her enter. Suddenly, it was silent. There was not a sound in the room as Finnick closed the door behind him.

Life was silent.

Inside, her stylist sat on a stool, looking down at her hands nervously. Phyllis quickly stood up, her red hand grabbing a dark leather jacket to put on Annie. It had pockets on the inside, and on the outside (which she showed Annie), and it was warm.

"Annie," Phyllis said before rushing to hug the girl gently. Finn frowned. Annie only stood still in the woman's arms. The young stylist took it as a hint.

Slowly, he let Annie's hand go. His eyes flashed towards the tube, and then back to his fiance. Phyllis fixed the jacket on Annie and buttoned it up. Annie, at that point, was facing away from Finnick. Phyllis took some dark brown gloves and put them on Annie. They were a thick type of cloth, which would be good for making nets. At least with them, Annie's hands wouldn't get hurt from making nets.

Then, after everything was set, Annie turned back to Finnick. With dense tears in her eyes, she couldn't restrain herself anymore. She could be dead in only a few minutes. She didn't care anymore. Annie ran straight into his arms, and sobbed into Finnick's shoulders.

"Finn, I-I," she began and Finnick caught her in his arms, holding onto her tightly. He kissed her forehead, and her hair, and just held her there. His own tears were threatening to spill-no, they already had. He couldn't suppress them. It was as if chaos had befallen into the silence, and there was sound everywhere. Her choked sobs, her desperate pleas. It was as if they were going to die, and it was the last goodbye of their lives.

Two minutes.

"Annie, its okay. You'll be okay, Annie," he said in such a cracked voice, very unlike himself. He pulled her gently out of his face and tilted her chin to face him. "Annie, you have to be strong," he whispered to her and forgot about the woman that stood in the room, watching them with a shocked expression. "You, you're going to make it out. An-And we'll go public, and no one will be able to do anything against us because we deserve this in our full right."

With one more sob escaping Annie, he gently pressed his lips to hers, trying to keep his cool. His shaky hands moved to her cheeks, cupping them in his palms. Annie's hands found themselves to his wrists, as if telling him to never let go.

That was when it finally hit him. Annie didn't really have a chance in the Arena, as much as he told her that she could win all by herself. She couldn't, and he knew that. He _knew_ that. Or at least, now he did. It was then he felt the desperate need to remember her, all of her. The touch of her lips, and the memory of everything they shared together. They had given each other everything the other had. To him, it was like losing Marianna all over again, only this time he would completely lose himself as well. Just like before, it would be his fault. And just like before, he wasn't going to be the only one to suffer. His family, and the people who he now considered family, would suffer.

His suffering would only be second to the suffering he would inflict on others.

The overhead then said, one minute.

He wiped her tears and then moved her hands away. He caressed her cheeks one last time, put his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.

"Please, Annie. Be strong. You have to be strong," he whispered only for her ears, and then kissed her forehead. She nodded.

Then, Finnick kissed her lips again. She nodded.

The rest, was a blur. Annie let go of him, even though he wanted to hold on for so much longer. She went to the tube quickly, and stood until the counter went to twenty. Then, the glass lid began to go down and Annie got scared. This, was the moment of truth. This was the moment where she knew, she had only mere moments till a possible death.

Finnick moved to the tube, and put his hands over the glass. Annie put her hands on his, even though she was already rising up and there was a thick glass over him. "Annie, don't move until the countdown ends," he told her and she nodded, looking down at him and he stared up at her, his whole world crashing around him once again.

"Do what you have to do to come back," was the last thing he said before she went over the top.

Finnick looked down, furrowing his brows and holding back the same damn tears. He put his fingers to the bridge of his nose. His shoulders slacked. He was supposed to leave immediately, but he couldn't find himself turning around. Mags would already be in the control room, waiting for him. Phyllis swallowed behind him. THat was when he remembered her.

"You loved her, Finnick?" Phyllis asked him with sad eyes. Of the Capitol citizens, Finnick liked her best. She had an...understanding personality, compared to others. He looked up at the empty tube, and Phyllis saw the empty shell that Finnick now seemed to be.

"This is my punishment, for wanting to marry her," he said, his voice and soul shattered. He wiped a few stray tears and quickly left the room.

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><p><strong>AN:** Some serious Fannie in this chapter. Sorry to leave you guys with a cliffhanger, but I think it'll be worth it. I'm already writing the next chapter, and I really would enjoy some critiques on this chapter! After this, its going to take me a while to update because of Finals Week, but that means I'll have more time to make the Arena the best that I can.

I hope you enjoy the chapter. Til' next time! Critiques and Praise are welcome!


	15. Chapter 15: Blood

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own The Hunger Games, just my own characters and the plot :D_

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><p><strong>Chapter 15:<strong>_ Blood_

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><p>Katniss Everdeen was dying of anticipation.<p>

Katniss tried to avoid the Hunger Games viewing as much as any other citizen would. Even her mother didn't approve of the Games, just as much as her father didn't. It was odd that they agreed, but she didn't question it. Katniss would never question her mother. She also didn't want to encourage her small sister, Prim, to disrespect their mother...that, and Prim had a blabbermouth.

This was the first time that Katniss was actually excited She was trying to watch them, seeing as she had hope for their tributes this year. She thought that, if she hoped hard enough, they could win.

She sat in their small kitchen table with her arms crossed. Her legs were crossed as well, and she played with the tip of one of her braids. Flickerman was showing the map of the Arena. It was a pretty wide river, with the spots of each District split into two. At the end, there was a huge wall, and on the other side, more water. It looked pretty ancient, but sturdy.

"A dam," her father said to Katniss. Her eyes widened. Around District 12, there were plenty of dams. There were small rivers, of course but the dams weren't that big. And she had never seen anything that big in her life before. It was massive. "And look, the Cornucopia is right in the middle of it all," he pointed. It was in the middle of a speck of ground in the middle of the river, and it piled high. Katniss had noticed it from the beginning.

At the bottom of the Cornucopia stood a long length of rope. It was thick, and round. It would be good for climbing the net, if it came to that at some point.

Those who couldn't swim, though, would have a hard time reaching it. A harder time than would be thought. It wasn't really fair, in all honesty. Not everyone in Panem could swim, she thought. Even Katniss knew that, if it wasn't for her father, she would've never been able to learn how to swim.

_"Now, my loyal viewers and District citizens, let the 70th Annual Hunger Games begin_!" Claudius Templesmith announced as the Tributes began to rise from the underground.

The camera panned to all the tributes' faces and at the District girl, whose face was red. She got into the ready position to run, as the countdown began.

Katniss Everdeen had been dying of anticipation.

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><p>Annie was ready. She got into the stance, concentrating on finding Cole in the opposite side of the river. They would both reach the Cornucopia the quickest, that was very well expected. Annie didn't dare to look around, considering that in a few seconds, she would be fighting to the death to the people around her. She only focused on finding Cole's face, and the quickest way for her to get to the Cornucopia.<p>

It just so happened that Cole was across the way. In her eyes, he saw the same intentions she had. They both needed one another, and it was an alliance that would be held above all the others.

Above them the numbers counted down from thirty.

_Five._

_Four._

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

And then, the loud sound of a cannon going off. Annie jumped off her spot and raced towards the water, like all the other tributes.

She dived in, and swam with all her might to the Cornucopia. Around her, chaos ensued. Screams of pains, grunts, and cries surrounded the area. There were struggled breaths and splashing all around her. She had made it halfway to the Cornucopia when the first cannon went off, followed by some after. She wondered who were the first to die in these Games, but didn't ponder on it too much. She would see it later that night.

She reached the island the quicker than Cole, something that she hadn't expected. Annie quickly straightened out her thoughts and grabbed whichever weapons were necessary...an ax, a sword...and for Cole, the trident they so needed to get by.

When Cole lifted himself from the current, he was drenched. She herself wondered how ridiculous she looked. She gave him the trident and a spear and got ready to fight.

On the horizon, she saw the young, thin District 12 girl run in the opposite direction, towards the Dam. She began to climb up quickly, and had made it halfway up by the time the Careers reached the Cornucopia.

The girl from District two, with her strawberry blonde hair in a ponytail, found the bow and arrow from the pile desperately.

She turned quickly in her spot, and aimed it at the girl. Annie saw as the District 12 girl came tumbling down, accompanied by the sound of a cannon.

Below them, the water was tinted with red. All of them had the weapons, food, and drink they needed. They were all set for the Games.

Through the middle of the chaos, Annie hadn't even moved from her spot at the Cornucopia. She held both weapons in her hands and stared around her, not really knowing what to do.

"Welcome to the Careers, Cole and Annie," the District two boy, holding a sword covered in blood and...other substances...stretched out a bloodied glove. Annie stared at it, a shocked expression slowly growing on her face. "My name is Marcus. My district partner is Licinia."

"I'm Petra," said the District One boy, stepping in as he took his jacket off. It was covered in blood. "And my partner here is Glaze." Annie slowly nodded, not taking her eyes off the blood on the other people.

Cole was the one to break the silence and take Marcus's hand. "I hope this lasts long enough," Cole smiled and shook his hand quickly, trying to close the deal with the other tributes before they could change their minds.

That's when Annie noticed that Cole had his own blood to carry around.

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><p>Finnick watched from the control room as she stood there, shocked by the bodies and blood that surrounded her. Almost immediately, she hadn't listened to him. She was the first to reach the Cornucopia, the first to get a weapon, and the first one to form an alliance.<p>

They hadn't expected Cole to be the first to kill a tribute, either. The boy from District 5 was the first one to go at his hands. He'd cracked the boys neck as they struggled in the water. As soon as the boy even attempted to reach for Cole, he was dead.

And then Annie got him the trident. The District 7 girl was dead at his hands.

"Cole is fierce," Johanna said quietly next to him, watching their tributes. She wondered why Finnick concentrated so much, barely taking his eyes off his tributes.

Finnick nodded and sighed. Annie would never be able to kill anyone, he thought. He was grateful to Cole for getting there in time. But mostly, he was proud of the decision she made. She took in the Arena almost immediately, and used some survival strategies. She was doing good, so far. So far.

The arena was odd, though. Why a dam? IT was surrounded by water- the ideal place for a District 4 tribute. He could only wonder what the President was playing at.

"I'm sorry about your girl, Johanna," Finnick apologized for Cole, and his fellow Victor grimaced.

"We're all trying to get our tributes out, Finnick. It's not your fault, nor is it theirs. They just want to get home. They all do," Johanna whispered. Unlike Finnick, Johanna didn't suffer from the guilt; she lived with it. IF anything, it gave her more of a will to live. She wanted to prove to the Capitol that her times in the Arena didn't affect her life, that she was the same as she had been before she had been reaped, which was a total lie.

Johanna took pills everyday so that she could live through it. The Capitol called them anti-depressants., and she told the physicians that they were for her mother, when in reality they were for her. Johanna swallowed most of them, though her she and her mother (her only living relative) shared them. And the morphling meant for her 'ailing' cousin was part of her self medication.

Like Finnick, Annie lived through a lie, set up by the Capitol. Unlike many others, though, she wasn't prostituted to the elite and wealthy of the Capitol. She knew who they were, too.

Cashmere and her brother Gloss, the sibling Victors from District 2, were sent as gifts to many diplomats in the Capitol. They were considered a 'package deal'. Brutus had been one, too, when he was younger. Enaboria was a special treat for anyone who was interested in her rough personality. There were a lot of people with sick habits in the Capitol.

Finnick, though...Finnick was wanted by every citizen in the Capitol. Male and Female. He was used, torn up, thrown around and tortured by the sexual deviants of the Capitol. That's why the other Victors felt a lot of respect for him. He was always strong, no matter what. Johanna definitely felt badly for being so horrid to him the previous year.

He thought about her words for a moment, but looked down, frowning. He had been thinking...thinking about something.

"Mags, watch them for me," he said and patted Johanna's back, squeezing her shoulders, before leaving the room to go make an office call.

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><p>Marcus sat at the edge of the island, his feet in the water as he sharpened his sword with one of the tools in the Cornucopia. His partner, Licinia did the same for some of her arrows and kept glancing at Annie every once in awhile, her dark blue eyes threatening and devious. Leda sat at the campfire with Cole, cooking some of the raw meat found at the center of the pile. They talked to each other, as they had talked in the training room, and Annie made a net next to him. They both sat with their weapons. Of course, they could never be too careful.<p>

The warmth of the campfire radiated from it massively. On a cold night in the Arena, their coats and gloves only increased the heat they needed for the night. It was no wonder that they were given such heavy jackets.

Before going to bed, they decided to wait for the message from the Capitol. But they were tired, and after what Annie saw during the bloodbath, Annie wasn't terribly excited to see who passed earlier that day.

Cole and the girl laughed. She was very flirty, but what bothered Annie was that he was flirting back with her. Annie shook the disgust away from her thoughts and kept making knots over again.

She couldn't get rid of the memory of the District 12 girl, falling.

Her grey eyes had been filled with fear as he let go of what she had been climbing on. The arrow in her back, she only felt one split second of pain before the grey eyes that feared so much, faded, and her frail body fell down against a rock at the bottom of the dam. If she hadn't died from the arrow, she...definitely died from how she landed.

Annie closed her eyes, as if it would get rid of the thoughts. But the girl's eyes just staied there. They were haunting Annie. All she could think about was the girl's family back home, mourning her loss. She wondered about what she would've been, had she lived. IF she had climbed quicker, if she had run faster. Maybe Cole's friends wouldn't have gotten her.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the Capitol anthem blaring throughout the arena.

They didn't say anything, but only showed the faces of those who died. It first showed a District 3 boy, followed by the District 5 boy. Cole's eyes shadowed at that, and he preferred not to listen. Annie looked up at their faces, and watched until she saw the eyes of the girl, whose eyes were full of fear.

"So, who's going to take the first shift watching?" Marcus asked and yawned, stretching.

"I will," Annie said quietly, taking it as an opportunity to not sleep that night. She wouldn't sleep unless she or Colin was awake.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>"President Snow, I-"<p>

"You storm into my office in the middle of the night, when you are supposed to be helping your tributes in the arena, and you expect me to listen to you, Mr. Odair?" The President stood, his palms pressed against the desk and frowning. He was displeased with the pathetic boy that stood in front of him, begging for the life of a stupid girl from his District.

"I just-"

"The Capitol offered you anything you could want, Mr. Odair. Do you think any other victors get as much access to this Utopia? They do not, because they are not as benefited as you. Do you not see that the women here, the most beautiful women in Panem are dying to be with you, and how could you not want that? You do not deserve any of this, and you go and get into a relationship with some hussy from your District. You both broke the law, and now she can face the consequences."

"I want to face the consequences for her," Finnick said desperately, looking up at the cold eyes of the President, who laughed at him. "I...I will see double the people. I will make double the visits to the Capitol, I will spend more time here on these visits. I won't...I won't be with her anymore," he said the last desperate promise, the only thing he could give the man. He was the only one who could truly protect her.

Coranelious Snow watched the boy's reaction, his lips pursed. The metal taste in his mouth soured, and even though he wanted to teach the District a lesson, his offer would help him achieve his goals in the long run. After all, Victors were always the best prices for good deeds.

"I can arrange some accidents that will lead your precious Annie to win. But I can't account for what may happen. You must uphold your offer no matter what. Or else."

"I promise, Mr. President."

"Now leave my presence, Finnick Odair. Do what you can to save your little harlot."

Without another word, another thought, Finnick left quickly. If she died, he wouldn't have a reason to live. Of course he would do anything they wanted, because he just wouldn't be himself anymore. If Annie lived, he would do what he could to protect her; and that was not be with her the way he wanted to. If she even wanted him afterwards. He ran his right hand over his face as he walked by the guards of the Presidential mansion, trying not to be too stressed out over the circumstances of his deal.

Finnick Odair would now, forever be, a slave of the Capitol's tortures.

A scent of roses now lingered around him**.**

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><p><strong>AN:** I owe you guys a huge apology. I'm not going to lie to you guys; I'm a lazy asshole. I literally had most of this chapter already written up by last week, I just wanted to add this part and I kept postponing it. But, it's here now and I'll have some more of this by next week. Cross my heart! I hope you enjoyed!


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